Steve Nickman

Reflection

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The flicker in the red maple—
speckled breast, black mark on the head—
at first I thought, meadowlark!
That would have been more inspiring.
There were things about you
I wanted to change,
the only music you were moved by,
Ravel’s Bolero.
Now the poem wants to know
if I failed you at all.
I look out my sad window
at the jays in the linden.
The window is kinder
than the mirror in the hall.

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Steve Nickman‘s poetry collection, To Sleep with Bears is now available from Wordtech (2022). He is a psychiatrist who works mainly with kids, teenagers and young adults. He has a strong interest in the experiences and dilemmas of adoptees and their families. Steve’s poetry has recently appeared in Pleiades, Nimrod, Summerset Review, Tar River Review, Tule Review, and JuxtaProse. He lives in Brookline, Massachusetts and is a member of Poemworks: The Workshop for Publishing Poets.