Two Poems by Matthew Heston

Next up we have two poem from Rock Island native Matthew Heston. Matthew is another product of the Young Emerging Writers program, and has published work in Buffalo Carp, and Slurve (see link below). What’s he have to say about his work here? Well, this:

“Having grown up in the QC, the River, and, by extension, all rivers, came to take on a certain meaning to me. I think both of these poems are a way of rethinking that meaning.”

So here are two poems by one Matthew Heston, “River Song (i)” and “River Song (ii)”:


River Song (i)

How hopeful we'd become having found ourselves
riverside again, finally found after miles of unrelenting

earth. We were romantic to the notion, with palms
open and steadfast feets – but seasons change. How

routine the moon became, like magic coming undone
before us, like realizing it was not halos we were wearing,

or that the ripples we created had no destiny, no destination
except, at best, an ocean to find and be lost in and forgotten.

Everyday, a new lesson in desperation, another glance
towards the horizon, another weight on our heavy

breath. We learned to speak between the sighing,
determined to stay planted at the prospect of weary limbs.

God damn the wind, we were bound, but battered, no
match for force nor fate. Then, finally, the collapse—

the gentle crumbling of our bones, it's almost as if
we didn't even notice, as if we'd known it all along.



River Song (ii)

                     Ask yourself, "Am I blessed or naïve?" Consider
the possibility there is no difference. Once, you saw the ocean,
became aware of its enormity, terrified by its breadth. There is
comfort here— the quaintness of a Midwest vocabulary keeps you
well situated, stable, still. Though you never saw the railroad, you
still claim it as inheritance. Remember how certain you were those
were angels you saw dancing in the river? It may have been the
moon, or the stars, or perhaps nothing more than headlights.



BIO:  Matthew Heston was born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois, and is currently a student at Bradley University. His poems have appeared in Buffalo Carp and Slurve.