Poetry by Carol Parris Krauss

                ​Tristan Loper CC




For Once


I Imagine that with time, I will slide down from this mountain of grief. Unstrap

my bindle of tears, unlash my brogans of sorrow. I will see the rose-breasted grosbeak.

Her flash of red among the tallest pines. 

For many days, I will walk. Walk

to the edge of the ocean, just as the Pisgah runs to the mighty Mississippi and then the 

Gulf. 



I will watch the tips of the waves as they roll in and retreat

to return home. Wash this body of my constant epitaph. Actually see the dolphin

as it breaks the water. Chirps and grunts along the shore. For once, I will step

into the waters, and swim among the salt eddies with joy. 

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Carol Parris Krauss is a poet from the Tidewater region of Virginia. She enjoys teaching, gardening, and college football. Her work can be found in online and print magazines such as Story South , New Verse News, Plainsongs, and the Amsterdam Quarterly. In 2018, she was recognized by the University of Virginia Press as a Best New Poet. More of her work can be found at https://www.carolparriskrausspoet.com/.
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