Ellen Austin-Li

Ellen Austin-Li’s work appeared in Artemis, Thimble Literary, The Maine Review, Salamander, Lily Poetry Review, Rust + Moth, and many other places. Finishing Line Press published her two chapbooks—Firefly (2019) & Lockdown: Scenes From Early in the Pandemic (2021). She’s a Best of the Net nominee. A Martin B. Bernstein Fellowship recipient, she earned an MFA in Poetry at the Solstice Low-Residency Program. Ellen co-founded the monthly reading series, “Poetry Night at Sitwell’s,” in Cincinnati, where she lives with her husband in a newly empty nest. You can find her @ www.ellenaustinli.me.

River of Clouds

I snap a panoramic on Chimney Top Rock.

               Turbulent air and my hair wet

                              with sweat, my skin wearing Kentucky

               weather like it had been steam-ironed on

                              this morning. The sun shone as we rose

               and left our cabin on our first trip alone

since our sons moved from home. We emerged

               from the trail as the rain came

like soft kisses—at 1000 feet up

               the trees obscure the Red River

                              that cuts through the sand-

               stone gorge below. Cool drops

                              meet the unseen

                                             water, fog rises in thick ribbons

where the river lives. This river of clouds shows

               what lies hidden from view. Look: I capture

                              a figure from behind, his gray hooded poncho,

               leaning against the cliff-edge rail. I can see

                              my love. Look. From here, I can see

               him and the river rising.