Bart Wilcox
Northern Light
2024, Acrylic on canvas, 20″ x 16″

There’s no rescue
from the north,
no leavening blood,
how dim are the lights
this time
how bright the leaf
ignorance
at high tide
the comet bites its own tail
the shades are drawn
against the coming century
last hope
the leaf
is in the stew
the stew
is on the stove.