Happy Birthday, Amelia Earhart

Poem by Alex Stolis


The sea is resting now, birds circle quietly as waves simmer softly
on the rocks. The sun arcs into a heavy cloud and somewhere there

is a woman who loves the water, loves the way the wind feels on her
skin. She watches the blue change to gray to an offwhite eggshell

and wants to paint it; capture it for her sons, for her yet-to-be-born
grandchildren; even for the husband who doesn’t notice how cracks

in the sky close for lightning. She knows the lure of flight, the lure
of beauty; the possibilities that live in a moment. I want to disappear

in a green, green blade of grass, into a clear mist of rain; to the place
on the beach where she rests her head.


ALEX STOLIS has had poems published in numerous journals. He is the author of Justice for All (Conversation Paperpress), a chapbook based on the last words of Texas Death Row inmates, and A Cabal of Angels (Red Bird Chapbooks), a collaborative chapbook with artist Susan Solomon. An e-chapbook, From an iPod found in Canal Park; Duluth, MN, was also released by Right Hand Pointing. He has been the recipient of five Pushcart nominations and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.


Originally published on 7/24/15.

Alternating Current Press

Written by

Indie press dedicated to lit that challenges readers & has a sense of self, timelessness, & atmosphere. Publisher of @CoilMag #CoilMag (http://thecoilmag.com)

The Coil

The Coil

Literature to change your lightbulb.

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