May we have a clue?

The sky is a likely place and yet,
deceptive. That is how puzzles evolve.
Look carefully at faces, especially the eyes,
noting flicker and shift.
Assess details: slant of October light,
a single shoe at the side of a rutted road.
Prints are overrated but not everything
can be wiped away.
Check the moon and the junk drawer,
the wind-up bear, the bowl of plums.
Listen for the baby’s cry, the crow’s bray,
the struggling motor, the bell.
Put piece with piece, interlocking,
and perhaps the world will be revealed.
Perhaps we’ll have a brand new story
with opaque characters and restless plots
and remain confused, happily delirious.

Mercedes Lawry has published poetry in such journals as Poetry, Rhino, Nimrod, Poetry East, Seattle Review, and others. She has also published fiction and humor, as well as stories and poems for children. Among the honors she’s received are awards from the Seattle Arts Commission, Hugo House, and Artist Trust. She’s been a Jack Straw Writer, has held a residency at Hedgebrook, and has been twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her chapbook, “There are Crows in My Blood,” was published by Pudding House Press in 2007, and another chapbook, “Happy Darkness,” was released by Finishing Line Press in 2011. She lives in Seattle.