camera obscura
peels back layers of fossil
a quest for answers
*
tree buds blossom
fragrance permeates the air
wash away the gray
*
the blowhards posture
hiding behind platitudes
spewing vitriol
*
sole crime: running
yet the punishment was death
the story repeats
*
children of Gaza
scramble amongst rubble—
former homes
*
snow melt inspires growth
tiny green shoots peek through soil
Mother Earth awakes
Emily Jo Scalzo holds an MFA from Fresno State University and teaches composition and creative writing at Ball State University. Their first chapbook, The Politics of Division (2017), was awarded honorable mention in the Eric Hoffer Book Awards in 2018.