Alicia Elkort

Beyond the vast unknowing

 
sits a house
surrounded by pink holly-
hocks cresting a moss-
covered hill.

The door is open. 

Is carved from walnut,

contains within itself other doors
leading to the same place, un-
knowing. 

Did I ask what we might ever know
for certain? The tea in the cup,
the black tea in the porce-
lain cup?

This home knows where I be-
long, where
hearth knows heart,  
where a fire-
place warms
hands. 

I do not know what exists beyond
the hill. Whatever it is,
the name
has no consonants or vowels,
only a —
shock of summer weeds.

When they speak of heaven,
I speak
of wind and rain—
an elm tree green-
ing overnight. 

Alicia Elkort's first book of poetry, A Map of Every Undoing, was published in 2022 by Stillhouse Press with George Mason University. Alicia's poetry has been nominated several times for the Pushcart, Best of the Net, and the Orison Anthology, and her work appears in numerous journals and anthologies. She reads for Tinderbox Poetry Journal and works as a Life Coach helping people find more joy and peace. Alicia lives in Santa Fe, NM where praise and clouds are part of her everyday experience. For more info or to watch her two video poems: http://aliciaelkort.mystrikingly.com/