He stalks the edges of the backyard wedding, dressed in black, rail-thin, chain-smoking—his face grey as ash, his eyes focused on a distant star. He sees too much. It’s killing him. Yet still he clocks whoever’s in front of him long enough to recount a tale from their past lives. Civil War, he tells two of the guests, a happy couple. You—pointing to the woman—were the man. You went off to fight and never came back. She—pointing to the man—waited for you, kept a light in the window, sure one day you would walk through the door. The man clutches his chest. My heart! he cries.

from their first date 
his nighttime ritual—
the whole house lit 
and the garage door open 
to welcome her home 

Cynthia Anderson

A California resident for more than 40 years, Cynthia Anderson is the author of 13 poetry collections, most recently The Far Mountain (The Wise Owl Publications, 2024), Arrival (Sheila-Na-Gig Editions, 2023), and Full Circle (Cholla Needles Press, 2022). Her poems appear frequently in journals and anthologies, and her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Cynthia is co-editor of the anthology A Bird Black As the Sun: California Poets on Crows & Ravens (Green Poet Press).

Author’s website: www.cynthiaandersonpoet.com