If only I could touch you (dear reader)
your body without words,
empty as paper.
If only love didn’t turn on a dime
every time, or wings were made
of iron, not feathers or wax.
If only your shadow could teach
blue hope arriving soon—these lines
an animal in snow, leaving no tracks.
Wishful Thinking
Julia Caroline Knowlton is the Adeline A. Loridans Professor of French at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, where she also teaches creative writing. Recognition for her poetry includes a Georgia Author of the Year award (2018) and an Academy of American Poets College prize. She was a finalist for a GA Author of the Year award in 2022. Kelsay Books has just released her third poetry chapbook, LIFE OF THE MIND.