Lock House #1
A poem by Kim Ports Parsons

Lock House #1

The heart’s gates
open and shut, fill
and empty like locks
on a busy canal, best kept
oiled and ready,
best guarded at all times,
but humbly, in all weather,
whatever the season,
whatever country of origin
the next traveler hails from,
whatever song the next
captain hums while
steadying the animal-
driven craft, propelled by
hope, or wanderlust, or just
plain fear, perhaps even
hurled onward, away,
war-torn, home-lost.

About the Author:

Kim Ports Parsons grew up near Baltimore, earned degrees, and worked in education for thirty years. Now she lives near Shenandoah National Park, walks, writes, gardens, and volunteers for Cultivating Voices LIVE Poetry. Her poems appear in many print and online publications, including Poetry Ireland Review and Vox Populi and have been nominated for a Pushcart. Her first collection, The Mayapple Forest (Terrapin Books 2022), was a finalist for the North American Book Award, a national competition sponsored by the Poetry Society of Virginia. Visit her at www.KimPortsParsons.com.

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