“The Task” by Alison Hicks
Late at night into the time before dawn is best.
Too easy to put off in the afternoon—
how long until cocktails, a swim, dinner?
Salvage enough to approach sideways, crab-like.
Lighted by what you wanted,
present what you’ve lifted proudly,
though it might be refused.
You could be drinking, pouring a mug
to really twist you up.
Instead you’re here.
When it is dark it seems like darkness
will go on for a long time.
Even when you go out on the porch to look at the stars.
All of this supposing, of course,
that you are not required to rise early.
Mornings you’ll need sleep.
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The waves of language, of words, are irresistible. They beckon us to venture out through the surf, to trust our knowledge, our skill, our instinct, our craft, as we ride the waves. — Alison Hicks
Alison Hicks Artist Statement:
Alison Hicks was awarded the 2021 Birdy Prize from Meadowlark Press for Knowing Is a Branching Trail. Previous collections are You Who Took the Boat Out and Kiss, a chapbook Falling Dreams, and a novella Love: A Story of Images. Her work has appeared in Eclipse, Gargoyle, Permafrost, and Poet Lore. She was finalist for the 2021 Beullah Rose prize from Smartish Pace, an Editor’s Choice selection for the 2024 Philadelphia Stories National Poetry Prize, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Green Hills Literary Lantern, Quartet Journal, and Nude Bruce Review. She is founder of Greater Philadelphia Wordshop Studio, which offers community-based writing workshops.
