Bad Weather and All
I could have lived in Sisters
or moved to the isle of Lesbos —
nectar and ambrosia —
but I didn’t choose where
I stayed near the stork nest,
Bad weather and all.
Schizophrenia will not stop me
nor walking on ice or pennies
I won’t bet my life on a mystery
(bran flakes and beets)
until I know I can take it —
The bad weather and all.
It’s supposed to be hard
stormy and violent
ripping you apart
from outside, then in
I’m seduced (next of kin)
By bad weather and all.
About the author:
E. Martin Pedersen, originally from San Francisco, has lived for over 35 years in eastern Sicily where he teaches English at the local university. His poetry has appeared in The James Dickey Review, Ink in Thirds, Mused, Oddville, Former People, The Bitchin' Kitsch and others. Martin is an alum of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers.
Art: Don't Go There by Robert Ferrier
In the artist's words:
Robert Ferrier is a retired university research administrator living in Norman. He received a BA in Journalism and an MBA from the University of Oklahoma. He has published an e-book novel “The Witchery Way,” at amazonKindle.com. He has won the Norman Tree Photo contest twice. His photo, “Magnolia Morning,” was the cover of the Summer, 2016, Dragon Poetry Review. His photo, “Diagnosis in Stasis,” was the cover of the Fall, 2012, Blood and Thunder, OU College of Medicine. His work has appeared in Abstractmagazinetv.com, Oklaho