Pushcart Nominees
fool's gold
Nicasio Valley, December 2016
Over hilltop yonder,
the oval moon glow
leaves a golden arch
crowning its outlines
like Christmas lights
along a distant roof line.
Flipped over,
it would make
the sliver of a smile,
but in reality it’s a frown.
In that next valley
looms a golden bowl
where I pitch
what’s left
of my hopes and dreams,
gold coins
to plant in dark soil
beyond what can be seen,
what will still beam
after everything
comes apart at the seams.
Brian Kirven
Point Reyes Station, California