by Martin Willitts Jr

I follow the curve of the river
as it veers off to somewhere else,
still chasing the last tangible moment of light.
 
I wait for my heart to settle, to dock, to tie onto,
and ahead is a beacon of city lights —
the sense of belonging, a place to go to,
 
but it’s too far to reach — the city lights
might as well be stars or fireflies
highlighting aspirations.
 
All I can do is glance at the unexpected light,
always just within reach
my rowing to a distant shore.

Martin Willitts Jr, a Comstock Review editor, has 25 chapbooks including the Turtle Island Quarterly Editor’s Choice Award, “The Wire Fence Holding Back the World” (Flowstone Press, 2017), plus 21 full-length collections including the Blue Light Award 2019, “The Temporary World.” His new full-length is “Harvest Time” (Deerbrook Press, 2021).