I am so thrilled to have my poem, “Breakaway” in the 2026 edition of Tidepools Literary Art magazine. It is the publication of Peninsula College. Since the school is somewhat nearby in Port Angeles, we got to attend the release reception. This was so much fun since I got to meet other poets and writers from this area. The event was at the Longhouse with beautiful Native American art on display. I felt honored to be among these talented people and I enjoyed reading my poem which was one I wrote while teaching classes last year at Heron Hill horse farm.
Breakaway
The horses got out of the pasture
again. A break in the fence. They seldom
wander far. Sweet blue grass grows only
in their enclosure, forest land bitter
under evergreen. The trail ridden
raw. The neighbor’s land full of gravel
and guard dogs. Yet they always take
their chance, the seduction of possibilities.
I am kin to the horses in this. I risk
a way out – even of the life I love, the one
I’ve made and chosen. I roam
in fantasies both awake and when dreaming.
I drive south for a day telling no one
where I am going. My friend the Tarot reader
tells me I am trying out death.
It doesn’t take long this morning to round up
the horses. Although I spend an hour looking
for the dark one. She stands so still
under charcoal shadows, waiting for me to arrive
with a carrot and halter. We rest
for a moment, my hand on her flank,
returning from a necessary journey.