Beatitudes Blessed are those who take what they can get.Who marry someone who is not the greatestbeauty or athlete that they’ve ever met.Blessed are those who do not have the latesttechnology at command. Who do not speakthree languages. Who cry when something hurts.Blessed are those whose drive to win is weak,stock market failures, poets, introverts.Blessed are those who choose to live alonewith dogs or cats rather than make a speech,who never go exploring on their ownor try for anything beyond their reach.Blessed, who know they’re bound to fail the testand settle down, settling for second best.     Gail White is a contributing editor of Light Poetry Magazine and a…

  The Void Perhaps this shimmer in theemptiness is nothing—it doesn’trealize it holds a shadow. Doesn’t see the leaf-thin lightor the cool, dark tree that bendslike an image on the water’s skin.   Or love the creatures of eye and awewho reach into the sky with silencegleaming at their wrists. Doesn’t notice its own farness wherea star blows wonder open like a flower.     Patricia Nelson is a former environmental attorney who has worked for many years with the “Activist” group of poets in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is working on a book of poetic monologues by monsters and seers.