Poetics Presents

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Poetics Presents

Michael Neal Morris

Michael Neal Morris attended East Texas State University (now Texas A&M in Commerce) where he earned a B.A. in 1985 and an M.A. in 1995. He teaches English at Eastfield College in Mesquite. His most recent publications include poems in Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Lynx Eye, The Concho River Review, Illya’s Honey, The Distillery and Our Journey and stories in Dogwood Tales Magazine and The GW Review. His most recent online poetry publications include, “Talking About Losing,” in Liberty Hill Poetry Review, “The Heat Sign” in The Mid-South Review, and “Fear at Burger King” in Chronogram. Poems are forthcoming in Contemporary Rhyme, Subtle Tea, and Haruah.

"Son Reading"

My son is reading again
by the glow of two
nightlights: one a plastic
rainbow on plastic clouds,
the other shining the logo
of some cartoon super hero.

He should be asleep, but
I don’t mind. I can’t
bring myself to discourage him.
I ask if he wants the overhead
light on. Lost in his
adventure about a dog
he waits until reaching
the end of a sentence
before nodding slightly.

I cannot disturb
the universe he’s walked into.
I try to make the switch
click inaudibly, but the quiet
hurts. I watch the boy,
even after I’ve left his room,
wanting to accompany him,
on the journey, partly to keep
him safe, partly to keep him,
partly to keep part of my self.

Copyright ©2007 by Michael Neal Morris