Reprieve

Reprieve

by Nadia Barghout Brown

Blossoms unfolding,
Fragrant residue of hope,
Ever uncertain

A cicada’s trill,
Rolling in waves of wheat,
Unhurried, it sinks
Below the simmering surface

Orange jewels, waiting,
Trembling at what is to come,
Curling tight against
The wind that carries them home

Snowfall
Silence swept bare
Lingering, bone-cold, unshuttered
Reprieve

Nadia is a mother of 3, a healthcare worker, and a dedicated pet owner. She writes fiction, poetry, and memoir. Previous works have appeared in print and online, and a short story was chosen as a finalist for the Writers Union of Canada Short Prose Competition.