like a collapsed lung
by Candice Kelsey
A poem walks into a pandemic
and starts tearing up its lines
to make medical grade masks
tossing its punctuation
tiny prayers
darkening the emptiness
between its stanzas
with the names of the dead
until only its title remains
like a collapsed lung.
About the Author
CANDICE KELSEY's debut book of poetry STILL I AM PUSHING just released with Finishing Line Press. Her poetry has appeared in Poets Reading the News, Poet Lore, and others while her micro-chapbook THE PIER HOUSE is forthcoming with the Origami Poetry Project. She won the 2019 Two Sisters Writing's Steve Carr Contest, received Honorable Mention for Common Ground's 2019 Poetry Contest, and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Currently, she is working with the O, Miami Poetry Festival on an exciting project. An educator in Los Angeles for 21 years, she is devoted to working with young writers.