THE COLOR OF SUNLIGHT
     ON HIS HAIR                                                                        by Emily Black

     weaves silver threads, that shine and
pull me like a magnet. I can imagine 

birds nesting there to sing songs of joy,
sing to my heart. I inhale a woodsy smell

as I stroke his once-dark hair inherited from
a distant Italian ancestor whose blood bestowed

a romantic streak that runs amid a sea
of English reserve and practicality. I think,

this is the perfect man for me, as he hands me
a cup of tea, the balm of an Englishman’s soul.


* * * * *

Emily Black was the second woman to graduate from the University of Florida in Civil Engineering, then engaged in a long engineering career as the only woman in a sea of men. Lately, she’s been writing poetry, has been published in numerous literary journals, and was a recipient of the 79th Moon Prize awarded by Writing in a Woman’s Voice in 2021. Her first book of poetry, The Lemon Light of Morning, published by Bambaz Press, was released in February 2022. A second book is scheduled for release in the spring of 2023. Emily wears Fire Engine Red lipstick.