Little Light
Laurie Sewall
The first time a life really close
to me maybe a part of me died there
was not much to empty—some
daylight, a few toys and I didn’t
know a brightness quite nearly perfect
could leave. My friend carried
irises—dense purple brilliance
on February snow, understanding
even a being this small. Little
light over pondwater, merciful
body and a hand so beautiful.
Laurie Sewall’s poetry has been anthologized and has appeared widely in literary journals including Ploughshares, Colorado Review, Cimarron Review, Minnesota Review, Poet Lore, Permafrost, and Hayden’s Ferry Review, among other publications. She received an MFA in Poetry from New England College and an MA in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University. She lives and teaches in Iowa.