Trees bow before it As before judgment, The panicked leaves Straining to bolt. The moon opens Its dark stalls, Selling brooms made Of black twigs. The daily paper Goes up in flames, Unraveling Its fevered headlines: Hell hath its fury, The trees have their long coffins. The wind its terrible shrouds.
Richard Hedderman is a multi-Pushcart Prize nominated author of two collections of poetry including most recently, Choosing a Stone (Finishing Line Press). He was a Guest Poet at the Library of Congress, and has performed his writing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His poetry has appeared in dozens of literary publications both in the U.S. and abroad including The Stockholm Review of Literature, Rattle, The American Poetry Review, and the anthology In a Fine Frenzy: Poets Respond to Shakespeare (University of Iowa Press). Formerly Writer-in-Residence at the Milwaukee Public Museum, he is currently the Coordinator of the Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books. More of his work may be found at richardheddermanpoetry.com.
