Poem: Elegy

Poem: Elegy

my third published poem, appeared in Lost Creek Elegy, for Doug Dykstra. Ned Hayes (died October 1989, Alaska, age fourteen) Like woken beasts we staggered awkward through the snow You might have cried, the strain showing in your cheekbones and big eyes, when we...
Poem: Elegy

Poem: Advice

my second published poem, appeared in Amelia Magazine Advice Ned Hayes (to a writer: remember, some old boats never sail.)   rough ideas rest old leaves on the dock of a harmless sailing port. They sift into mulch where, sometimes, if fortunate, staggering after...
Poem: Transfiguration

Poem: Transfiguration

my first published poem, appeared in The Mid-American Review Transfiguration Ned Hayes White men’s bodies turn green under the billows of the sea I have been told so; when the young are dragged from the tide their lips have melted into a delicate slash of...

Requiem for Mark Strand

I’m sorry to report that the wonderful poet Mark Strand has died. In his honor, here is my favorite poem by him: The Continuous Life What of the neighborhood homes awash In a silver light, of children crouched in the bushes, Watching the grown-ups for signs of...
Poem: Elegy

Glossolalia: Collected Poems

Glossolalia: speaking in tongues is a powerful poetic exploration of the last years of the 20th century, spoken in a multitude of interlocking tongues. A deep exploration of human experience, ranging from loss and genocide to joy and childbirth, Ned Hayes uses a...