Seasonably sad

Samantha mabry

On dark nights, I ask the clouds to let the stars through
So I can ask them what I’m here for.

In March, the sun wakes the birds first, then
Turns the riverbanks green-brown. Ducks arrive to bob on the surface

Like rubber toys in my little brother’s bath water, circa 2005. Both accept the rhythm or risk succumbing.

Life reemerges on time each year because
It has more to fear than its shadow.

I fear my shadow and the absence of it, too

But a river does not fear its own relentless current,
Does not think to mourn the ones it takes,

And swollen waters smooth swollen bodies into boulders,
Turn them over in its hands to admire its tremendous reward.

Today, joy-starved people sit behind their windshield
Crack their windows,
Hope for quiet predictability

Do they not see
A river has nothing to prove?

But when they look up at a clear night sky
I hope they can find contentment
Waiting for their answer from the stars

Samantha Mabry is a two-time graduate of EIU, most recently receiving her M.A. in English in 2023. In her creative writing, she is heavily inspired by nature and loves exploring both the groovy and gritty sides of the human experience. When she’s not writing, she’s often running.