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 a poet, artist and Professor of French at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta. Recognition for her poetry includes two GA Author of the Year awards and an Academy of American Poets Prize. Kelsay Books published her first book of poetry for children in August of 2024.