The Milky Way sends out 
its racehorses of light. 

Who’s astonished by the way 
stars smell like communion wafers? 

Already the galaxy’s priests 
have rounded up the runaways. 

Whoever has ash on their tongue 
is doubly blessed. There once 

was a drummer boy 
whose drumstick had eyes. 

Every star he ever paddled 
carried a scent of water. 

Whoever speaks in stars 
has a steel drum for a heart. 

Percussion is a matter of attunement. 

—Published previously in the poet’s latest book, Camaraderie of the Marvelous (Kelsay Books, 2 September 2021); poem appears here with her permission.

Dianna Henning

lives with her husband and their Samoyed on six acres in a forest of oaks and ponderosa pines in Lassen County, California, where they enjoy the solitude and beauty. Soon after moving to Lassen County, Dianna founded The Thompson Peak Writers’ Workshop, which has been going for twenty-six years. As she says, “The work by others inspires me to be my very best writer.”

For more information, see Brief Bio at the author’s website:
https://diannahenning.com/