The difference by Ren Pike

poetry is more than a rant

more than your feelings in spring flood

more than alliteration lined up slyly sibilant

more than careful thesaurus substitutions

now, forthwith, straightaway—more

than intimate wandering

zigzag traumas shocked & dashed

more, much more, than merely

observe & replay with photo realism

she sighs, hand waving shepherds know

never move a flock at dusk

every snap is a wild wolf maw

every shadow, a leg-break ditch

wide-eyed sheep can’t tell the difference

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Ren Pike grew up in Newfoundland. Through sheer luck, she was born into a family who understood the exceptional value of a library card. Her work has appeared in journals such as Riddle Fence, Sublunary Review, and IceFloe Press. When she is not writing, she wrangles data for non-profit organizations in Calgary, Canada. http://rpike.mm.st/ You can find her on Twitter @sputta