Howie Good

Splay

I almost prefer the beach in winter,
no spluttering boats cluttering the outlook
& only an occasional slanderous dog
loping over the sand ahead of its owner,

the ocean seeming, if possible, bigger
& the light holier because so much emptier,

& even the bent blades of beachgrass
rusting along the crestline of the dunes
give off a kind of eccentric strength,

wild patches of hair on the pale,
papery scalp of the chemo patient.

Howie Good ‘s latest book of poetry collection is The Complete Absence of Twilight (2014) from MadHat Press. He co-edits White Knuckle Press with Dale Wisely, who does most of the real work.