ANNELIES ZIJDERVELD
BUFFALO
In my hand an arrow,
In my hand, a bow,
In my head a buffalo
bounds forth from the forest.
Throttling the trees, it breaks
for open range as if it can out-
run the future.
TELEPHONE
Like the copy machine memorial photo of a cat perched in the window
Like the shower of cherry blossom confetti in February
Like the last strands of sunlight snaking the contours of the apartment building
Like the slow whine of the bus as it edges forward toward traffic
Like the faint trace of cologne still clinging to the threads of your knit cap
Like the grandmother and child once in full color but now receding
Like the way I still get the urge to call an old phone number that’s been turned off
As if I might still hear the last vestige of your voice tell me to leave a message
Like the words might work their way up to you, passing from earth to ether.
Annelies Zijderveld is a food writer and creator of the literary food blog, the food poet, selected by Alimentum Journal as one of their favorite food blogs. Her first book, Steeped: Recipes Infused with Tea is being published by Andrews McMeel, and will be released April 2015. She holds an MFA in poetry from New England College and is an associate editor of Poetry International. Her work has been published in "Curator," "Arthouse America," "Darling Magazine," and "Sated." She lives in Oakland with her husband and sourdough pet Salvatore.