In the given world
Beyond the ellipses
I note the energy a dragonfly
Exerts to enact stasis
Note the corollary of pond ripples
And planetary orbits
The compression and release
That is movement that is motion
The time-lapsed dispersion
Of a storm front
The menacing clouds enfold
Into a tracery of mists
Like you I live
At the edge of the world
Although it feels like the center
Eric Pankey‘s most recent collection is AUGURY (Milkweed Editions 2017). He teaches in the BFA and MFA programs at George Mason University.