Joseph Hutchison
On the Cusp of a Dream
He knows that iron clank is the flue's
damper yanked open and shut by the gale,
not the armor of giants in the next valley
tramping into battle. But he huddles
under the covers in case one straddles
the house and bends to squint hungrily
in through the rattling panes. The man,
though gray-haired, grits his teeth—
the haunted child still cringing in him.
Bio
Joseph Hutchison, Colorado Poet Laureate (2014-2019), has published 19 poetry collections, including THE WORLD AS IS: NEW & SELECTED POEMS, 1972-2015; MARKED MEN; BED OF COALS (Colorado Poetry Award winner); and the Colorado Governor's Award volume, SHADOW-LIGHT. A new collection, UNDER SLEEP'S NEW MOON, is forthcoming from NYQ Books. His poems, fiction, and essays have appeared in many anthologies and over 100 journals, including Agni Review, Cutthroat, JuxtaProse Literary Magazine, Kentucky Review, Pedestal Magazine, Poetry (Chicago), and Poetry Salzburg Review. He directs the Professional Creative Writing program at the University of Denver's University College.