Kay Kestner


Her Dress Outgrown
 
This                 stain 
fur and mousy-eyed 
is too tight. 
                        These 
tiny paws make silence 
a martial art. 
                       And the ears 
hear every sound that 
                                  drops 
from the leaky mouth 
            that won't speak. 
            
            
            
Jupiter’s Eye 
 
Jupiter’s bright eye 
               watches shells 
                              turn into stones 
                                             tossed 
                                                            by the  
                                                                           low tide 
               and left alone to die 
 
It is a long night for her 
               being a solitary witness 
                              to all of this massacre 
 
All of these midnight 
               tragedies 
                              unseen by those 
                                             sleeping in  
                                                            soft beds  
               dry on elevated land 
 
By morning, by sunrise 
               the rising tide 
               hides all evidence 
               washes away the 
               secret sorrows 
                                             of the night 
 
Even Jupiter’s eye hides 
               too scared to tell  
                              the story of 
                                             what she saw. 

Kay Kestner’s work has appeared in journals since the early 1990s. She is a screenwriter, poet, and prose writer. Her work is an unapologetic combination of gentle grace and raw reality. She is the founder and former editor of Poetry Breakfast and has led writing workshops through the Ministry of Artistic Intent and at The NJ Poetry and Arts Barn. You can find more information about her work at KayKestner.com.

 
 

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