M.H. Lopez - Two Poems
Earthworm Moon
I’ve returned
aimlessly wandering
across the desolation plains
following the moon's circles
where only the coyotes and ravens live
I cannot eat here, I cannot starve
I cannot freeze in this deepest pocket of absolute zero
I am bound like a senseless waveform
So, I follow the winding moon with the immortal creatures of the night
the moon passes, then it passes, and it passes again
sometimes I see a shimmering mirage dancing in the night sky
her
pointes pirouetting off into blackness
I imagine
her, in the spaces between the stars and the moon and me
faintly drawing circles
over the frozen tundra
once upon a time
A homecoming of arcane delights
a sea of growing bright burnt-orange
bristling poppies create the sun
and the ghostly moon
reveals ancient willow trees, we carve our names into
an inner light shines out
and the words emerge
like earthworms in green grass
and the sound of water rises from rivulets
and everywhere she dances
the hummingbirds
and the butterflies
and the wild horses follow
their paintbrushes full of oils
recoloring the world
American Moon
The boundless darkness of the Sonoran Desert
unfurled and oozed from the yucca blooms
that we could see from our railcar
that whipped by in the moonlight
My mother giving birth, my baby sister
lamplit in hay and amber
we named her, Luna
and we could say that she was probably American
The elf-owls and sphinx moths sent word
and the moon gathered the ghosts of emigrants wandering the desert, to see
we had made it
we’re going to make it
I hope we make it
M.H. Lopez is a poet from the misty avenues of San Francisco, California, where he draws energy from the Pacific Ocean and the constant blanket of enchanting fog. His poetry relies heavily on deep imagery and dreamy landscapes, with a focus on the transformation of all things. He enjoys writing about ghosts, love, nature, and philosophy. He has published numerous poems in various literary magazines, is a co-editor at Mumber Literary Magazine, hosts open mics and events in San Francisco, and produces the poetry column, Driftwood, in the Sunset Beacon’s online newspaper. Check out his IG page, mhlopez.poetry, to see a full list of published material and exciting event updates.
Photograph: Blossom in Moonlight by JP Seabright
JP Seabright is a queer writer living in London. Their debut prose chapbook will be published by Lupercalia Press in early 2022 and collaborative poetry project published by Nine Pens Press also in 2022. They are Assistant Editor for Full House Lit Mag. More info at https://jpseabright.wordpress.com/ and via Twitter @errormessage