![]() |
|
(a good woman, too) Photo © Jennifer Wagner (artwork found at Gus's, a local restaurant fav) |
The crows were the only lights—
the moon, cloaked in cloud,
made glints on their wings
just enough to see the shape of things
as they were.
But I’d seen enough
of that
black sky,
choked enough noxious smoke
in that pitiless city.
For too long,
I’d felt the dark bruise of my heart
spreading like disease.
Birds don’t always sing
me awake—those crows,
brilliant as sunrise,
with their ink-soaked wings,
dropped their quills in my palms,
and, for the brooding imp of my mind,
a map home
by pressing pain to page.
© 2026 Jennifer Wagner
We’re using color at dVerse. Anyone else found writing poetry helps process pain, or get out of the blues? ;-)

For too long,
ReplyDeleteI’d felt the dark bruise of my heart
spreading like disease."
These three lines cut deeply....as does the entire poem.
"quills in my palms"....a map home by pressing pain to page"
Oh these words are painful to read.....the angst....the broodiness...the pain felt here.
So very well writ!
Beautifully done Jennifer- the moment a writer decides to turn their suffering into survival into art 🩷
ReplyDeletePS I love that piece of art you captured 🙌
Pressing pain to page..a perfect ending to a lovely poem..
ReplyDelete👏🏾👏🏾 Nicely written
ReplyDeleteI love the strength of spirit your end verse conveys - writing is a wonderful tool to help us navigate life - Jae
ReplyDeleteAs a fan of corvids I love this poem, Jennifer, especially the ‘crows, brilliant as sunrise, with their ink-soaked wings’.
ReplyDeleteThe words and images bring pain to life, sadness cloaked in the imagery of the crows and dark shapes, I like "The crows were the only lights—
ReplyDeletethe moon, cloaked in cloud,
made glints on their wings
just enough to see the shape of things
as they were."
You had me at the first line. I love the role of the crows in this and how you show light in the dark.
ReplyDeleteYou got me, it rings painfully at home to me. Love the poem.
ReplyDeleteLike they say, if you're going through hell, don't stop. Dante wrapped himself in Virgil's meters to do so, we can write verse letters to da blues. How fitting to make crows the bluing angels of black depression, with their crow-light and ink-soaked rapture and door for the imp.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. I can see the black night.👏🏾
ReplyDeleteNice one
ReplyDeleteMuch love