another thrifted thing

the lamp is my new favorite

it’s brass

and the whole thing gets hot when it’s been on awhile

and the lights bend and move

and it’s perfect next to the pull out bed by the fireplace

and it reminds me of the ones

in my grandparents’ house in hendersonville

where squirrels come to the porch for walnuts

where sometimes, reading in the green chair,

you can see a black bear roaming

where my sister and I used to sprint

without abandon down the golf course hill

in our swim suits while the sprinklers ran

back when catching fireflies in jars

and looking for frogs with flashlights after dark

was enough

I found one that still had a tail, once

not a tadpole, but not fully a frog

caught between one thing

and the other.

Nicole Bethune Winters is a poet, writer and multi-faceted artist. Her first collection, brackish, was published by Finishing Line Press, and her work has appeared in Backlash Journal, Wild Roof Journal, and Seaborne Magazine. When she isn’t writing or wheel-throwing, Nicole is likely at the beach, on a trail, climbing, or exploring new landscapes with her dog. She currently resides in Southern California, where she works as a full-time artist from her home studio.