The sky’s a blackboard that has been erased.
With her, there’s always red-tailed hawks.
Without her, only wisps of chalk.
No black silhouettes beckoning from branches.
With her, there’s always red-tailed hawks,
bald eagles, northern harriers,
grand black silhouettes atop her branches.
She’s always first to hear the crows.
White-tailed kites, Cooper’s hawks:
nothing passes without her notice.
She always answers yes to crows.
Without her: such silence.
Nothing passes. Without her notice,
the sky is a blackboard that’s erased.
Without her: silence.
Without her: nothing but wisps of chalk.
—
Kim Roberts will release two new books in 2025: Q&A for the End of the World, a collaboration with Michael Gushue (WordTech Editions), her seventh book of poems; and Buried Stories: Walking Tours of Washington, DC-Area Cemeteries (Rivanna Books), her second guidebook. She has edited two anthologies of poems by Washington, DC authors, and co-curates DC Pride Poem-a-Day each June. http://www.kimroberts.org
