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Mining the Gap

Shyla Shehan

 There is silence 

                            between us

 

and I have failed 

so far 

to find a word

that you and I could agree on.

 

I am a landlocked lava rock 

                                       and you are open water.

I am a blooming flower 

                                       and you are a stalactite.

I am a Bluetooth keyboard 

                                     and you are a ream of paper.

 

We are juxtaposed and oblique—

trying to navigate 

a sea of deaf space 

between us.

 

I am traveling dictionaries 

to get to you, 

              and I’m not giving up.

About the Author

Shyla is an analytical virgo who was raised in Iowa and has spent the majority of her life in the Midwest. She currently lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and children and spends most days tending to a healthy household and working as an engineer for a Healthcare IT company. She will earn an MFA in Writing from the University of Nebraska in 2020 where she received an American Academy of Poets Prize. Shyla is a mom to two amazing humans and three wily cats. She enjoys gardening, road trips, and hunting for the perfect cheeseburger. More about Shyla can be found at shylashehan.com.

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