The Apricot Tree

For Kris

When we were young,
you made me promise
I’d outlive you.

Now, my hands,
gnarled like this tree,
tremble as I carve
our names into its bark.

We planted this tree,

and watched each year
as Spring blossoms
drifted away
like snowflakes.

Though we mourned their loss,

there was something special
in those fleeting moments
when hapless winds
lifted off its petals.

If only we could’ve preserved those visions
like the tart jam we enjoyed
months after harvest.

But I digress . . .

Though I never would’ve broken it,
there are many days
I wish I hadn’t made that promise.

And, while I hope to join you soon,
the richest part of me
has already passed on.

Please come soon, love –
The blossoms are almost gone.

© 2011 by Brad P. Olson. All Rights Reserved.

Haiku

geese fly overhead,
wings flapping in unison –
rainstorm approaches

© 2011 by Brad P. Olson. All Rights Reserved

Mowing the Lawn

For Grace, age 14 months

The day before
you started walking,
you sat with mom
beneath the plum tree.

Each time I mowed past,
you’d sit up on your knees
and wave both arms
as your face stretched into a grin.

Is that daddy?
mom would ask,
and wave with you.

Although the noise of the mower
drowned out your laugh,

I can still hear you –
even now.

© 2011 by Brad P. Olson. All Rights Reserved

Morning Ritual was just published in the Ramshackle Review

My poem, “Morning Ritual”, was just published in the June 2011 issue of the Ramshackle Review. This is my second piece of creative writing to be formally published. I’d like to thank Mark Reep, Editor of Ramshackle Review, for including my poem in this issue.

I’ve enjoyed reading all the work in RR4, but here is a list of my favorites

• “Between Us” by Meredith Weiers
• “The Concept of Time” by John Tustin
• Three Poems by Ally Malinenko
• “Last Call” by Heath Corlew

For more information on Ramshackle Review, click here.

After Tilling the Gardern

Standing on the back porch,
I smack the bottoms
of my shoes together.

Bits of dirt,
shaped like sneaker tread,

break apart
as they hit the ground.

Then,

setting my shoes
on the mat,
I walk inside to drink
a sweating glass of water.

© 2011 by Brad P. Olson. All Rights Reserved.

Eons from Now

A tree of stone
holds the initials
of ancient lovers.

Excavators,
puzzling its meaning,
scratch their heads –

cryptic symbols
carved by hands
long turned to dust.

© 2011 by Brad P. Olson. All Rights Reserved.

The Day You Were Born

For Grace

The day you were born

I held you swaddled
in the crook of my arm.

Now, 10 months later,

you turn your head
as I try to wipe your nose.

I could hold your head still,

but, to do that,
I’d have to put you down . . .

I don’t look forward to the day
when you’re too grown up

to carry from one place to another.

© 2011 by Brad P. Olson. All Rights Reserved.

Good Fences was just published in Pif Magazine

My short story, Good Fences, was just accepted for publication in the Jan. 2011 issue of Pif Magazine. Although I’ve been writing short stories and poems for several years, Good Fences is my first story to be formally published.

While I love writing for the sake of writing, it feels good to finally be a “published” author. I feel especially honored to be published in Pif as it was recently listed in the top 75 online-only literary magazines by Writer’s Digest.

© 2011 by Brad P. Olson. All Rights Reserved.

Note: Pif Magazine is one of the oldest, continually published literary zines online. Founded in 1995 by Richard Luck and currently run by Managing Editor Derek Alger, the magazine has published original works by authors such as Amy Hempel, Julia Slavin, Richard Yates, and David Lehman, as well as interviews with modern literary greats like A. Manette Ansay, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jhumpa Lahiri, and William H. Gass (source: Pif Magazine’s Facebook page).

Learning to Stand

[Grace, age Eight Months]

Not realizing the plant stand
won’t support her weight,

she falls backwards,
pulling it on top of herself.

CRASH!!!

She screams more from surprise than pain.

Her mother holds her close,
bouncing and shushing.

Yet, before her tears are dry,
she wants down,

eager to try again.

© 2010 by Brad P. Olson. All Rights Reserved.

Note: One of my favorite poems is “Father’s Song”, by Gregory Orr. While never spoken directly, the love portrayed between Mr. Orr and his daughter is quite clear. I just hope when Grace reads the poems I write about her, the love I feel for her will be just as evident.

I believe

no one loves a poem
as much as its
creator.

So it is
with God
and his children.

© 2010 by Brad P. Olson. All Rights Reserved.