New Poetry by Paul Willis

Venetian

In my window, Venetian blinds divide 

the trees and tennis courts into slatted ways, 

one lane atop another.  At night the avenues 

wink shut, but in the morning they resume

their daily maze, a labyrinth.  Each parallel

contains its own spiritual center, a lateral 

of understanding.  Or maybe each 

opening is a wet and wandering canal,

one leading on to the next.  After all,

these could be the streets of Venice.

And look!  A bluebottle gondolier is singing

his way from one end of town to the other.

- © Paul Willis 2023

Paul Willis has published seven collections of poetry, the most recent of which is Somewhere to Follow (Slant Books, 2021).  Individual poems have appeared in Poetry, Ascent, Christian Century, and the Best American Poetry series.  He is a former poet laureate of Santa Barbara, California, where he lives with his wife, Sharon, near the old mission.