Paul Siegell
*GABRIEL*

In the ground, the real
……………………………….never of a boy
How a couple recovers
……………………………….I do not know
Whose heart
Agony of mother, father
Maria unimaginable
Two weeks from his due
How do you explain
……………………………….to two young daughters
Curly hair of the family
……………………………….beaming the arrival
A little brother, theirs—
Now mourners with
……………………………….offerings at a small stone
……………………………….in the grass with a name
The first anniversary
Canopy of hand-sized
……………………………….leaves lending the light
……………………………….its gates to a shimmer
To a sting of tears fought
……………………………….off with balloons for the
……………………………….sky
And with the kicks
……………………………….she now feels within

Paul Siegell is the author of the forthcoming Take Out Delivery (Spuyten Duyvil, 2018), as well as wild life rifle fire, jambandbootleg and Poemergency Room. He is a senior editor at Painted Bride Quarterly and has contributed to American Poetry Review, Black Warrior Review, Rattle, and many other fine journals. His poetry appeared previous in Cleaver’s Issue 13. Kindly find more of his work—and concrete poetry t-shirts—at ReVeLeR@ eYeLeVeL, his website, and @paulsiegell.

Read more from Cleaver Magazine’s Issue #20.