by John Muro
The incoming waves are inching shore-wards
only to pause then silently fall back and spill
apart leaving a brackish scent upon the wind
and thin strands of hazel-colored foam while,
further out, morning’s sunlight is scampering
across the rumpled surface of the water in Schwinn-
silver gleam, and I’m wondering if it would
be just as easy to wash away the many missteps
in my life that have led me here, and to some-
how set myself apart from these hapless limbs
and the blind industry of the heart before noticing
how the tides, in their sleepless passage, were
whispering and exchanging coins with one another
in their ghostly return – and retreat – from shore.
John Muro has authored two volumes of poems—In the Lilac Hour and Pastoral Suite—in 2020 and 2022, respectively. His third volume, A Bountiful Silence, will be published this fall. Since the publication of his first book, John has been thrice nominated for the Pushcart Prize, twice nominated for the Best of the Net and he has received several commendations for his work, including a 2023 Grantchester Award. John’s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in such journals as Acumen, Belfast Review, Grey Sparrow, Sky Island, the Valparaiso Review and elsewhere.
Emerge Literary Journal 