More coveted than gold
from lead is her belly laugh
while chased
around the kitchen floor
More magical than wine from milk
is the wise mischief in her smile
when held,
before bed with a fragile stillness
The master alchemists of China
would do no better.
George Cassidy Payne is a poet from Rochester, NY. His work has been included in such publications as the Hazmat Review, Moria Poetry Journal, Chronogram Journal, Ampersand Literary Review, The Angle at St. John Fisher College, and 3:16 Journal. George’s blogs, essays and letters have appeared in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Havana Times, South China Morning Post, The Buffalo News, and more.
See all his poems on Tea House here.