After a Painting in Which One Person is Whispering to Another

by Hugh Behm-Steinberg                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Your stories which are ghosts 

so they think about rising, 

and others, in your light, 

rising too.  As much as

a saint talks to you her words 

fly and you’re ready you get 

ready when she talks to you.  

You didn’t think a saint 

would talk to you.

Here we’ll put a ghost

the story of the ghost, 

the brightness of our house,

a candle in its mouth.  

Flourish in its light, 

become skyclad, 

hopeful, enbraided.