FOUR FEATHERS PRESS ONLINE EDITION: POINT UP Send up to three poems on the subject of or at least mentioning the words point and/or up, totaling up to 150 lines in length, in the body of an email message or attached in a Word file to donkingfishercampbell@gmail.com by 11:59 PM PST on April 18th. No PDF's please. Color artwork is also desired. Please send in JPG form. No late submissions accepted. Poets and artists published in Four Feathers Press Online Edition: Point Up will be published online and invited to read at the Saturday Afternoon Poetry Zoom meeting on Saturday, April 19th between 3 and 5 pm PST.

Friday, April 18, 2025

Mary Langer Thompson

Climbing the Proverbial Ladder


Up, up, and away to a new location

but a higher title.

I’ve studied hard and long for this.


“What goes around comes around.”

 I’m still waiting.


I climbed methodically, step by step

following the wrong proverbs.




Heads Up


A new baby was delivered to our church manger today,

exactly like the one that had its head stolen.

Or maybe the whole body was taken and someone 

dropped it and ran away with just the top.  

It took a week before anyone found it 

missing in the trash nearby. 

All agree that first baby Jesus was a treasure.


We’re considering a small tracking device for this one.

I’m no magi, but when did we lose sight of the stars?




The Washington Monument

For my brother, Dave


I followed you up hundreds of iron steps

inside the world’s tallest obelisk

stretching five hundred feet above the ground.


No, the sole elevator wasn’t broken.

We chose our way because we were young

plus you said “only phonies take the easy way.”

 

You arrived at the observation level first—

took a look around and saw the world as it was.

Then you turned to look for me.


I had a while before reaching the top.

Did you think to keep me in innocence

like Catcher Holden wished for his sister Phoebe?

 

If so, your original plan

didn’t work, and like the building

just gravity and friction held us together.


Since you’ve been gone,

my once naive heart has been 

closed for repairs.


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