Bridge Crossing Above the Wolf
Here’s where we sat by the creek
and took our clothes off
Splashing in the spring-fed water,
and hiding under overhang,
camouflaged by leaves
Looking down into a slow current,
he wants to turn back the pages
and decades on an endless tango
with no particular starting point
Silent thoughts step forward
when the sun drops
____________
Prayer
The river flows near a secluded
bend before resuming its course
And this is my sanctuary
where there are no visitors
I plan all decisions
and campaigns through a looking glass
turned inward
We all have our hideouts
that special little place where secrets
go unspoken
The fragrance of forgotten flowers
____________
Fairy Tale
A dream
of breathing easy
and slow in a forgotten place
called “Once Upon A Time”
And someday
we will build
our very own
clown in faded sunlight
We will blend together
near a vacant lot on the corner
of 11th and Nowhere:
We will speak of love
and I will be alone
____________
Bio
Richard D. Houff edited Heeltap Magazine and Pariah Press Books from 1986 to 2010. He is also a journalist that’s comfortable in writing both poetry and prose. His work has been published in Academic and Arts Review, Big Hammer, Brooklyn Review, Chiron Review, Conduit, Louisiana Review, Midwest Quarterly, North American Review, Parnassus, Rattle, San Fernando Quarterly, and many other fine magazines. His most recent poetry collections are Night Watch and Other Hometown Favorites, from Black Cat Moon Press(2016), The Wonderful Farm and Other Gone Poems, from Flutter Press (2017), and Dancing on Rooftops, from Homage Press (2019) Czech Republic.
Rusty Truck 