Paddock Creek

Where no one has been
every form of silence is observed.
Where one person has been
the cutbank is a shelter.
Where two people have been
one has scratched his name in the sandstone.
Where three people have been
their initials will be a spell
against the empty sky.

Jeffrey Thompson was raised in Fargo, North Dakota, and educated at the University of Iowa and Cornell Law School. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona, where he practices public interest law. His work has appeared in North Dakota Quarterly, The Main Street Rag, ONE ART, Hole in the Head Review, and New World Writing.

Published January 15 2024