Elizabeth Alford

Poetry Will Not Come Today

Poetry will not come today—
not if I whistle, not if I whoop,

not if I whimper, as if to a dog
that does not wish to be found:

how it slinks through shadows
edging moonlit sidewalks

and abandoned back alleys,
paws to the ground,

nose to the wind, waiting
to catch a familiar scent,

to satisfy bared teeth
and the rumble in its gut.


Elizabeth Alford (Hayward, CA) usually writes poetry on her laptop, but in its absence, will settle for her cell phone. See more of her work @ Facebook.com/ElizabethAlfordPoetry