It's True

By Joseph Hardy

    we witnessed fallen men, drifting 

from wet alleys with their bundles— 

in Cohen’s rasping hallelujah

     and God himself would pause to listen

as Miles reached for the notes of Creation— 

echoing where his horn neared

     and Lady Day could bleed us—holding 

every wound, liquid and needle sweet

on her thorns

     and Coltrane’s breath—pull us, winding 

from dark basement into light—without a 

backward glance or lapse of faith or stumble.

True, they gave what they received 

standing open-mouthed in the presence 

of God.

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Joseph Hardy, a reformed human resource consultant, lives with his beautiful wife Judith and wonder dog, Charley Girl, in Nashville, Tennessee. His work has been published in: Appalachian Review, Cold Mountain Review, Inlandia, Plainsongs, and Poet Lore among others. He is the author of two books of poetry, The Only Light Coming In and Becoming Sky (Bambaz Press Los Angeles, 2020 and 2023), and a picture book, At the Reading of the Will—And a Boy’s Life Thereafter (IngramSpark 2023). His graphic story, Golden, will soon be available on Amazon.