by Alva Dean
What more is left to be had
there’s burning in the brush
there’s fire to be touched
it’s not fear of failure
it’s steady doubt
still wringing in the ear
still behaving by the book
not taking each
not parsing teeth
sacred grief
stacked deep
so be it
tame tongue kept
patience set left
tethered meter slow met
tempted time is a sinking ship
better stymied, by the by
heavy token caused all this
better than not at all
no one can
if it’s long gone
and it’s gone long alone
but what does is done and dead
and what goes is gotten, green
Biography
Hello! My name is Ian Cook. I am 1/4 Indonesian, 1/4 Chinese, 1/4 Swedish, 1/4 German, American born, internationally raised. When I’m not petting my dogs and hanging out with my wife, I’m writing poetry, music, playing guitar and video games, drawing portraits and hands, biking, and exploring Lawrence, Kansas. I believe in the power of self-education and the importance of the new, to keep my mind active and growing. I’m always looking to learn, I find joy in figuring something out, taking the parts useful to me, and making it a part of my toolkit.
Snarl 