Opening

Photo by Wes Carpani

Slowly,

the heart uncurls,

opening tentatively

like the frond of a fern

Or the hands of a child after prayer

Or the clenched fist of the first to forgive

This is a One-Line Poem for Chalkboard’s Prompt: Risk by Elizabeth Helmich

About the Author

Owen Banner spent his childhood baptized in the red dirt of Mandeville, Jamaica and his adolescence in the neon morass of Manila in the Philippines. He’s lived in or traveled to countries all over the planet, nourished by their people and cultures. These diverse voices plant the seeds of his stories, which twist genre and seek new perspectives. Discover more at owenbanner.com.