Prize winning poem from Lindenwood University, St. Charles, MO

First Look

by Amy Reece

there she stands

across the road

you can’t miss her

really

a tall 

angular

sunflower 

of a girl

golden-tipped hair

racing 

down

dark 

skin 

catching ocean breezes

dancing

lightly 

along

strong shoulders.

a flower of a skirt

a scarf of a shirt

ears

gem studded 

stars 

filing 

into 

heaven

bare feet

thick with callus

grounded 

casually

on hot asphalt

thumb 

begging a

ride 

to someplace

I’d like to be

does she sense 

my 

drumming pulse

my 

shallow breath

looking up

she smiles

just before

a red jeep

top down

stops

between us

as 

she 

jumps 

in

speeding 

off

she grabs

the roll bar

and

turns

to wave

at me