Gabrielle Langley

HAUNTING

The dead travel on 
the scent of faded lilies,

in sand, and foam,
and broken shell.

Forgive me.
I did not hear you

coming in.
I only heard

the slip of a blade
the night we downed

Murder Point 
oysters by the dozen

their grey bodies
pried apart, a breaking

tide – and now this ocean
forever on my tongue.

Gabrielle Langley has been featured in the Houston Chronicle and the Huffington Post as one of Houston's important emerging poets. Her debut collection of poetry, Azaleas on Fire, was released in March of 2019. She has won the Lorene Pouncey Award, Houston Poetry Fest's Jury Prize, and the Vivian Nellis Memorial Prize. With work appearing in a variety of literary journals, and three pushcart prize nominations, Ms. Langley was also a spearhead and co-editor for the anthology Red Sky: Poetry on the global epidemic of violence against women (Sable Books – 2016). Working during the day as a licensed mental health professional, she safeguards her own mental health by writing poetry and dancing Argentine tango at night. Additional information about this poet can be found at www.gabriellelangley.com.