THIS
The exhale of a horse steams up the imagination, relieves the tension
in my shoulders as Atlas sets the earth down for dinner.
The night is young and there is mischief afoot
The busy-squeak of a mouse shuffles the bush
climbs down into the trails under blackberry roots,
—an intelligence plays here
The mole, in its blind furry weaves
strength stirs under sod
tunnels beneath grass clumps
spy hops for air and direction
What cannot be seen is still there
Each to their own compass
in the midnights of existence
by Shannon Laws
Published by Shannon 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.
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