I’ve been listening to good voices
floating across prairie nights.
Tuning in and turning my heart
catching just a few words.
I’ve been lying beneath a star blanket
thinking about the stars I can’t see.
And the cottonwoods
and the river floods.
I’ve been keeping company with
spirits and memories.
Turning on the fire glass
and padding to the bathroom again.
I’ve been calling out to the deejay in the sky
asking if he’ll take one on the request line.
One that makes it all alright
that takes away self-consciousness.
I’ve been walking toward birdsong
with organs dropping into empty space.
Rubbing my chest with menthol
pressing air into the next minute.
I’ve been listening to good voices
floating on prairie winds.
Falling asleep under the comfort of starlight
with her words in my ear.
Autumn Bernhardt’s work can be found in a number of anthologies, magazines, and journals. Autumn is a Colorado native of mixed descent.
