Reaching for the Light
Some decent wine
half wheel of cheese
small silver knife
corkscrew
& two stem glasses
toweled in a basket.
We both took a handle
stumbling down
the bank to the river.
Stories were shared
all day and
under a sliver moon.
You moved into my place
I moved into yours.
Each day brought a different flower.
*
Platform Sandals
Faded red birds dart in & out
of the brush
a few feet ahead of
where you trod solitary
A path that changes abruptly:
smooth to cragged.
Seems a gift of friendship
this following by
creatures you can’t properly name.
All appear faded by the elements
some to rust. They’re chirpy
and they make you smile
with their prancing company.
Someone gave you shoes
of this same shade.
You wore them out
dancing ‘til your ankles gave way
sinking into softness that
may be what it feels like
to bury yourself in clouds.
***
The collaborations are by:
Susan Tepper 
is the author of nine published books of fiction and poetry. Her most recent titles are CONFESS (a poetry chapbook by Cervena Barva Press, 2020) and a funky road novel WHAT DRIVES MEN (Wilderness House Press, 2019) which was shortlisted at American Book Fest. Tepper has received eighteen Pushcart Prize Nominations, and a Pulitzer Prize Nomination for the novel What May Have Been (Cervena Barva Press, 2012) which has been adapted for the stage to appear Off-Broadway when the theatres re-open. To know more about Susan and her work please visit www.susantepper.com
Digby Beaumont 
is an artist and a writer. In his art, as in his writing, he is always exploring the idea of how best to produce some emotional response to the work. He is a self-taught artist. An interview with him about his art plus a showcase of some of his portraiture feature in the November 2019 issue of the online journal, Tupelo Quarterly. As a short fiction writer his work has been published in numerous print and online literary journals and anthologies. His collection of flash fiction, one-page stories, Dancing Alone and Other Lessons, was released in early 2020. Digby has also published numerous English language textbooks with Heinemann and Macmillan, including international bestsellers. He lives by the seaside on the south coast of England. You can see more of his work on his website: https://digbybeaumont.com/ or on Facebook.
