by Ken Holland
Fortune Favors the Forgetful
And so, dear, dear friends
We’ve embarked upon an age that bears
The most beautiful words. Words such as
Senescence and desuetude.
And we leave behind those that are ugly and awkward,
Or sharp upon the tongue. Words like acuity and
Pulchritude.
Such are our blessings, dear friends. All that is sweet in the senility
Of soft sibilance, and mornings imbued with misted memories of
Misty murmurings.
Sifting
In my left hand you’ve placed
All you cannot fathom
In my right, the questions you no longer
Wish to carry
And in the rift that lies between
Each of my fingers
I feel the loss of you
Softly sifting through
Ken Holland has had work widely published in such journals as Rattle, Tulane Review, Southwest Review, and Tar River with poetry currently/forthcoming in Kestrel, California Quarterly, Midwest Quarterly, The Alembic and Innisfree Poetry Journal. He was awarded first place in the 2022 New Ohio Review poetry contest, judged by Kim Addonizio, and was a finalist in the 2022 Lascaux Prize in Poetry. His book-length manuscript, Summer of the Gods, was a semi-finalist in the 2022 Able Muse book competition as well as Word Work’s 2022 Washington Prize. He’s been nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize. More by visiting his website: www.kenhollandpoet.com