Snowfall at Children’s Mercy Hospital
By Barbara Seaman

Whiteout dancing by night
and so are you, small chirp,
in flurries of toss and turn.

Listen, little wide awake,
pellets tick at the window
like minutes. It’s late.

I can still hear your voice
clear as ice. Gentle down now.
A dose of quiet won’t hurt.

You can sleep like a snowbird
riding the rough ash bark.
Just keep your feathers puffed

and tomorrow morning
both white coated worlds
will melt in your mouth.

— Barbara Seaman, a writer living in Lawrence, was the winner of the 1997 Langston Hughes Creative Writing award in poetry. Poet’s Showcase features work by area poets. Submit your poetry via e-mail with a subject line of Poet’s Showcase to mpaget@ljworld.com or send typewritten (not handwritten) submissions to Mindie Paget, 645 N.H., Lawrence 66044, attn: Poet’s Showcase. Teen writers should submit their work to the 18 & Under page at teens@ljworld.com.