Hiraeth in California

Hiraeth in California

Photo by Mike Towber, Some rights reserved.  for Michael Wells You tell me a staircase that leads to nowhere is your recurring dream just moments before you teach me the Welsh word hiraeth, and it’s as if you’ve used a magic spell: I now have that intense homesickness...
If you were here my love, you’d be all talk

If you were here my love, you’d be all talk

of loadbearing supports and span-riseratios. Of harmonic proportionsand Pythagorean mysticism. I couldn’t marvel at the bright shops jutting from the Ponte Vecchiowithout a lecture on ancient architectureand the ongoing perils of gravity. I couldn’t wonder aloud how...
The photoreconnaissance wants an autogiro

The photoreconnaissance wants an autogiro

We enter a palace room for a second time, the one where stags holdsome of my ancestors’ names. So many mouths, some little flies. Camera catch the pitch of my smug.You try not to spout. My wet crest. The stags on a ceiling of gilded pens. So a lens under my chin makes...
Under the Waterfall

Under the Waterfall

for Mary For fear of polio, as a child,I’d been made to wear a bathing cap,not allowed to get hair wet as I swam. But now here we were: Behind us a cliff,and before us water cascading down,an in-between space,like dusk or dawn. This was not a celebrated waterfall.And...
Dublin City

Dublin City

honestly? the thing is, it’s noteven nice here. I love it herebut it’s not nice – it’s distinctive.and I think if I’m honestthat I averaged happierin london and happier in torontoand much happier alsoin new york up therewatching manhattan...
Potter’s Field

Potter’s Field

I am walking in washington square parkit is busy the hawks arenot out everyone at NYU is graduating everyone at NYU is taking selfies inpurple robes the kids are smoking the kids are selling t shirts sewn out of other t shirtsthe kids are playing music so loud the...