by Ann Iverson

Maybe it was just a trick of light
that made things happen as they did
a turn of phrase
or a sideways glance.
 
Maybe it was my fault.
Of course, it must have been
but blame like truth
lands somewhere in the middle
a ship moored
between two worlds.
 
Have you ever knelt inside a box
and confessed yourself to God?
 
Have you ever conceived a sin
just to be forgiven?
I’ll take the blame and set sail
but please pardon me right now
if I need to look the other way.

Ann Iverson is a writer and artist and the author of five poetry collections. She is a graduate of both the MALS and the MFA programs at Hamline University. Her poems have appeared in a wide variety of journals and venues, including six features on The Writer’s Almanac. She is also the author and illustrator of two children’s storybooks. As a visual artist, she enjoys the integrated relationship between the visual image and the written image. Her art work has been featured in several art exhibits as well as in a permanent installation at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital. She is currently working on her sixth collection of poems, a book of children’s verse, and a collection of personal essays.