Roberta Schultz

Roberta Schultz is a singer songwriter, teacher and poet originally from Grant’s Lick, KY. Her poems and song lyrics have appeared in Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Still: the Journal, Motif, Kudzu, Riparian and other anthologies. Her three chapbooks, Outposts on the Border of Longing (2014,) Songs from the Shaper’s Harp (2017,) and Touchstones (2020) are published by Finishing Line Press. robertaschultz.com

Like Huge Moths

I remember the newspapers dying like huge moths.

No one wanted them back. No one missed them.—Ray Bradbury

They dropped in clear chrysalis

at the end of each driveway.

We confused them for each other’s,

handed them over fences, red-faced

when accidentally, a husband picked up

more than one issue from the sidewalk.

We rolled them up to start campfires,

tucked them under the kindling, lit

the match and watched red edges

fly into night’s luna sky.

We shawled castaway china cups

with smeared news headlines

cushioned mailed Christmas gifts

into cardboard with commentary.

When money was tight, we wrapped

the presents themselves in bright panels

of Blondie and Dagwood, stashed

front pages for history’s sake—

Times-New Roman bold font above the fold

declared the end to wars and walls,

quoted Neil Armstrong from the moon.

Where can diminishing dollars serve

the most good, cause the least harm?

Financial flames singe gossamer wings thin.

Only one chrysalis lands at the foot

of the last gravel drive on West Johns Hill.

Two readers still unfold its spare span.

We scan columned patterns for light

not already fluttered from screens.