POETRY

Poetry by Bradley Samore

Con Mi Padre
 

Walking with my dad in Madrid
I let him lead

his beret
brown leather boots
offhand cigar
and tweed jacket
spell classic Madrileño

inside the
artisans line the square

Mira he says
and points at a painting of El Metrópolis
a building that stands tall in his memory
in the background of a photo taken fifteen years ago
my brother and I leaning against him

successful haggling tips the scales
and the euros cross the border
from my dad’s pocket to the painter’s hand

afterwards
the two of them chat
about family and God traveling and art
not burdened by haste
but lifted by exchange
each
curious of the other’s ways

Communion
(for Alex Bear)

Running along the edge of the woods
we discover a trail half hidden by growth
and enter it hushed by the height of the green

we walk the halls of leaf-strewn shade
where butterflies circle in crowns of color
where birds call from choirs unseen

and we listen as if it is we who are called
our feet lost in a veil of fern
our breath found by the trees

Candle Smoke

Tonight I think about
my friend who died last year
and all the times he listened
until I could hear myself

tonight I sit by a candle
watching it flicker
I can still hear him
listening

Bradley Samore currently lives in North Carolina and is a high school English teacher.  His writing has been featured in various publications including West Texas Literary Review, Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, and SLAB Literary Magazine.

Be sure to check out our exclusive interview with Bradley on the Orson's Publishing blog.