A Pair of Poems by Lydia Ondrusek

Printed in recognition of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.  Breakwater by Lydia Ondrusek Break, water on stones lifting from the sea, earth’s very arms, hands cupped; and we, small birds, held safe. Break, water, on. Truth obeys no tide, we cannot change it, only try to understand - only sit on truth, together, looking out across the water. Only sit on truth, our feet wet, dreaming of the sky. Demitasse by Lydia Ondrusek If I believed in reincarnation, she says, I’d think I used to live in New Orleans every cast iron railing makes me think of home my hand remembers flowers twisting, muscle around bone when I bite into a moment, she says powdered sweetness drifts hangs in the air, sparkling like this rain it settles on me anoints me as a child of God Listening to her I hear a paddlewheel stirring water and the clop of hooves the car horns become a jazz symphony no one hears but me and maybe her She raises her umbrella as the light changes; hips swaying like a dancer, sashays to the other side Lydia Ondrusek lives in Richardson, Texas, and often writes about Southern experiences and locations. She has had fiction and poetry published online and in print since 2008 in a diverse range of publications that include Flash Fiction Online and Falling Star Magazine. Her new story "Help Wanted" is included in Beast Within 2: Predator & Prey