Mother and Child
near a narrow strip known as the Isle of Boch
they still whisper of a witch that once stalked infants
a pale-skinned woman with long pale hair
waiting in dark corners, dark cloak covering her face.
in the dark growing deep beneath the baby’s crib
something wizened with small, sharp teeth and sharp nails
lets itself into houses where newborn infants lie
bare-headed, blue-eyed, trapped in deep sleep.
___
The Poet: Holly Day is a housewife and mother of two living in Minneapolis, Minnesota who teaches needlepoint classes for the Minneapolis school district and writing classes at The Loft Literary Center. Her poetry has recently appeared in Borderlands, Slant, and The Mom Egg, and she is the recipient of the 2011 Sam Ragan Poetry Prize from Barton College. Her most recent published books are "Walking Twin Cities" and "Notenlesen für Dummies Das Pocketbuch," and her novel, “The Trouble With Clare,” is due out from Hydra Publications late 2013.
The Artist: Mark Zlomislic's art resides in the tension between the eternal and the temporal. It explores the human need for security and the inevitability of an impermanence he has difficulty accepting. He paints to capture moments of time that reveal frailty and vitality, joy and sorrow, decline and glory. Born in Rakitno, Hercegovina, he has lived and studied in Vienna, Paris, Munich and Zagreb. His influences include Bacon, Balthus and Tom Thompson. His work is included in numerous private collections throughout North America and Europe. His gallery and studio are located in Cambridge, Canada.
