Ducks

We fed red-billed ducks
crusts from stale Wonder bread
by the docks, sunrise dripping
like runny egg yolk
across a slowly brightening
canvas that might become
anything: a day yet to be
lived, the same sky
we flew kites in
before we forgot
the wonder of
spring in bloom
or how satisfying
peanut butter & jelly
sandwiches are
shared with
your sibling

This lake that we return to
now that you have a family
and I’ve given up
on having one

This lake where we once
ran as fast as we could
thinking we could outpace
the inevitable

I watch the crusts
disappear & for once
I’m not afraid
what comes next

Erin Jamieson (she/her) holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Miami University. Her writing has been published in over eighty literary magazines, including two Pushcart Prize nominations. Her poetry chapbook, Fairytales, was published by Bottlecap Press and her most recent chapbook, Remnants, came out in 2024. . Her debut novel (Sky of Ashes, Land of Dreams) came out November 2023. She resides in Loveland, Ohio.  Twitter: @erin_simmer.