voice | poetry
The moon rises
above an arched gate.
he reads poems
in front of stiff-tall bamboo
near the unfinished garden shed.
we sit in dining chairs
aligned with the patio bricks.
open-mouth-smiles perfume the air
with beer and burgundy.
squirrels rush the branches—
applaud too soon.
A vine past its bloom
crawls on a trellis,
the root appears dead
yet the live ends
are laden with leaf.
-by Shannon P. Laws
Shannon Laws is an award-winning poet, performer, and advocate for the arts. She has been recognized with two Mayor’s Arts Awards and the Dr. Asha Bhargava Memorial Award — Community Champion. Her work has been featured in numerous journals and anthologies, and she has captivated audiences at esteemed literary events, including the Jack McCarthy Evergreen Invitational Slam, SpeakEasy, Poetry Night, Kitchen Sessions, and the West Coast Tagore Festival. Beyond her writing and performances, Shannon actively fosters literary and artistic communities. Since 2022, she has curated Corridor, a monthly “found-art” zine project that showcases the work of more than 50 contributing poets and artists. She is also the founder and host of Poetry Club, an engaging discussion group established in 2015. View more posts
shannon p. laws