February 14, 2026

how in the world did i get the grass stains
in the seat of my britches i heard the sound
of kathryn’s voice asking from the other room
also if i would like some butter on my bread
& of course at 4:13 a.m. it felt real real
enough for me to climb out of bed & go
staggering through this dark house certain that
around the corner i would find her standing
somewhere between the laundry room &
kitchen waiting with a hug & a heart
shaped box but she wasn’t there another
dream that reality has reduced
to embers

acceptance be damned—
trying to turn the ash pile
back into the tree

Victor Clevenger spends his days in a Madhouse and his nights creating art.  Selected pieces of his work have appeared in print magazines and journals around the world. He is the author of several collections of poetry including Every Angel in Heaven is a Hopscotch Champion (Spartan Press, 2024).