The Silhouette of Ducks by Jamie Quinn Mader

July 20, 2023
Poem title: The silhouette of ducks Poet name: Jamie Quinn Mader Poem: Ripples as waves and webbed feet as motors the pond as a universe hanging vines as curtains greenery as home décor Algae as carpets home and heartache hearts break with bitter glides yearning for more than just outdoors feathers for knowledge flight from family wings outstretched clouds like dense purple and orange lava sun and moon delicately in dance and the weight of wind distance tracks uttering into silence memories as waves in a constant state of grieving shadows grow and shrink like deep breaths but horizons always glow twice a day and everything is within wingbeats as stars are swapped for clouds over and over let love wash over you over and over coast rest breathe return to love hold on tight and don’t forget to feel feel chaos like grief feel euphoria like gratitude feel optimism like courage roots as slime and survival leaves as crunch and possibilities pond as alive and self the horizon glows over the water shadows and silhouettes of the littlest ducklings learning to swim End of poem. Credits and bio: Copyright © Jamie Quinn Mader Jamie Quinn Mader (they/them) is a queer, nonbinary, fat, mad & femme poet based out of what is colonially known as Toronto. They have published in several magazines and has two short collections self published on amazon. You can find more info about them on Instagram @jamiequinn.m