One thing is needed

One thing is needed

Abigail Moma

only one thing is needed—
to look at him and lay your
dazzled brow upon his
burnished feet and weep,
weep for the days you looked
away, for the wounds you
gave when you were busy
loving lesser things.
look at him and drink
from his calloused hands
water and blood.
look at him and receive
his scorching gaze—
eyes that pierce the night
and strip you bare.
for too long, he says,
you have been striving,
scraping empty wells
for water that was
never there.

---

Abigail Moma
Poet

Abigail lives in Decatur, Illinois with her husband, cat, and their business, The River Coffee Company. Her poem, Song of the Water Lilies, was shortlisted for the 2017 Montreal International Poetry Prize. In 2023, her book, The Good Portion: Poetry and Reflections, was published. She is currently working on a second book, Come Away, My Love: The Call of the Bridegroom.

Drawing from Berlin Photographic Company