on tuesday, intense with possibilities,
yet at lack for comfortable weather,
emily in a long white dress
writes a poem on pain. notice how

my glance over her shoulder
causes her thoughts to pause. is it

pain that suppresses her adjectives
and verbs from their tumble
to paper of white?

Ave Jeanne Ventresca (aka: ave jeanne) is an American/Italian author of nine chapbooks of poetry reflecting social and environmental concerns. Poetry from her most recent collection, Noticing The Colors of Ordinary, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, 2019. Her award winning poetry has been widely published internationally within commercial and literary magazines, in print and online. Most recently her work appears in: International Human Rights Art Festival, Boats Against The Current, Poetry Pacific, Eunoia Review, Rough Beast, Down in the DIrt, Scarlet Leaf Review, and Back Channels. She edited the acclaimed literary magazine Black Bear Review, and served as publisher of Black Bear Publications for twenty years.