Ars Poetica for the Third Night of the Full Moon
after David Kirby
Reaching above Three Mile Mesa
I pluck the tiny pearl moon
from the desert sky. I put it in my shirt
pocket for the walk home, only stars to
show me the way. My lament has
three movements but tomorrow I will
write an aubade with five, one each
for the days I must be without you.
When midnight comes I will crack
the moon open for its yolk
knowing it cannot feed the multitudes
without the faith of saints.
Justin Evans lives with his family and teaches in the rural deserts of Nevada. He served in the army after high school and was educated in Utah and Nevada. His poetry has been published in four chapbooks and six full length collections of poetry, the most recent being, All the Brilliant Ideas I've Ever Had (Kelsay Books, 2020).