Photography © Lauren Shear

 

Vines

Under angels’ shadows cast,
I lose my mind
In the ocean, vast and blue,

Where I forget
Stories repeating,
Like reading your lips.

Like how you see Jesus
In my forehead, in the discolor
Of my skin, that tells another

Story within, of age, not beauty —
Not age, but beauty —
One cannot be pulled from the other,

Like how the words change
As they grow from your mouth,
From poisonous vines

Into flowers of forgiveness.
 
 

Devon Deming writes about love and learning, fragmented and whole, and the ways in which we discover our truest selves. She is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles, with a degree in English Literature and a focus on Poetry, Women’s Studies, and Gay and Lesbian Studies, and is a proud member of the Academy of American Poets.

Lauren Shear is a museum professional, public historian, and lifelong resident of Massachusetts. She has been working with activist groups since college and has been seeking ways to support communities under attack ever since.