"Sidewalk Chalk and Scraped-up Knees, Fireflies and Golden Sun Stains" by Hailey Stumpo
Miriam Moore-Keish | The world is ending
so I sit in my backyard
where the bean sprouts are taller
than they were this morning and
almost ready to reach for the trellis
and the house sparrows are bullying
the chickadees but the chickadees
will be back later
like they always are
and the surprise tulips
and the volunteer tomatoes
and the new growth still
sit calm and safe from rabbits and
where the goldfinch call above it all
sounds like a door opening slowly.
where the bean sprouts are taller
than they were this morning and
almost ready to reach for the trellis
and the house sparrows are bullying
the chickadees but the chickadees
will be back later
like they always are
and the surprise tulips
and the volunteer tomatoes
and the new growth still
sit calm and safe from rabbits and
where the goldfinch call above it all
sounds like a door opening slowly.
Originally from Atlanta, GA, Miriam Moore-Keish is a Minneapolis-based writer and publisher. She is the author of one full-length collection of poetry and two recent chapbooks: Cherokee Rose (Finishing Line Press, 2021) and Clearance Philosophy (Bottlecap Press, 2022). Most recent publications include her two children’s books: Every Body is Different (Capstone Editions, 2024) and This is My Wonderful Face (Capstone Editions, 2025). She spends a lot of time these days thinking about birds. Her dog smells like fish and has a visceral fear of cardboard.
Hailey Stumpo is a Dover-based fine artist currently pursuing a degree in studio art at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Her works have been acquired by private collectors in Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, including renowned oil painter Dr. Sandra Corpora, by whom Stumpo has been mentored for three years. You can find Hailey on Instagram @indieannaartwork and on her website.
