‘The Harvest’

Judy Jenks’ passion for photography began early, using polaroids, Instamatics, and other devices available in the 1970s. She mourns the days of film photography but is adapting to digital. She lives in Virginia and has published photography as well as writings of prose, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

The Harvest

With my bare hands 

I exhumed your shattered vessel from the mud,

piece by piece—

you revealed yourself to me,

the harvest of an empty heart.

Finally,

the truth you kept out of reach,

could no longer be denied—

after all,

bones never lie—

or rest in peace.

Years I spent digging,

desperate to unearth a mystery 

only to find

a treasure trove of vulnerability—

merely skin deep.

Before you went under,

you were a lifeline 

that became an anchor,

leaving me awash amongst a roiling sea—

as I drift deeper into the abyss,

the quieter it gets—

somehow I still exist.

Now you’re here—

splayed before me, 

even as I resist, 

love—

it fills my lungs with a perfume I wish to forget 

like a leech it clings to my flesh 

begging for blood 

finding none—

it withers. 

Our eyes, both lifeless as they met

no words can be spoken 

none need be said—

this is the end.

Nick Wardean is the author of Dead, Calm, and Silent, a self-published collection of poetry.