Special Selection for the 2022/2023 Winter Holiday Issue

Poetry by Brant Short

the magi brought three gifts to the child
but they forgot the most important one of all

as purveyors of wisdom they should have known this truth

a book is the most powerful object ever created by human hands

 
books are time machines
          that break the chain of present tense

books are maps

          directing us to wonderous places we never knew existed

books are medicines

          tonics, potions and salves with the power to heal a broken life

books are tools

          hammers, saws, and nails that help us build thoughts, words, and deeds

 
a book offers life changing wisdom but only if we accept the terms of the offer
     be open to all ideas

         share the good, reject the bad

              honor the human labor that crafted the book

                   never take the magic of a good book for granted

Brant Short was raised in rural Idaho and studied history and communication in college. He recently retired from Northern Arizona University after 26 years of teaching and has turned to creative expression. He has published poetry in several journals including Back Channels, The Limberlost Review, and Roanoke Review.