Mercedes Lawry
I grow halfway
into the gluttonous
sun. Gold
nimbus gives false
protection, but I’m content
to glory in the reach.
I would be
a blazing hand
surprising the gulls
as I forsake
roots and reason,
sip greedily
at light, nerves
firing, little flames
all along my skin.
Mercedes Lawry has published poetry in such journals as Poetry, Rhino, Nimrod, Poetry East, Seattle Review, and others. She’s also published fiction and humor as well as stories and poems for children. Among the honors she’s received are awards from the Seattle Arts Commission, Hugo House, and Artist Trust. She’s been a Jack Straw Writer, held a residency at Hedgebrook and is a Pushcart Prize nominee. Her chapbook, There are Crows in My Blood, was published by Pudding House Press in 2007 and another chapbook, Happy Darkness, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2011. She lives in Seattle.