Grief comes with the winter sun,

Slanting through the smudged window

On an ordinary afternoon,

Speckling the worn rug in gold

Patches of faded warmth, traces

Of those loved and gone too soon.

A brush against a smooth white cheek

—a reminder.

Lorna McGinnis graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Since then, she has been published many places, including in Creative Colloquy, Wordgathering, and Kaleidoscope. In her spare time, McGinnis reads everything she can get her hands on and practices martial arts.