The Wardrobe's Best Dressed: A Story Interrupted by Connie Soper

This selection, chosen by guest editor Kirsten Kowalewski, is from A Story Interrupted by Connie Soper (Airlie Press 2022).

The Art of Careful Pruning

The leaves have grown too dense, touching
roofs, stealing light from the windows.
The neighbor and I want them tamed,
but not too much. The tree-trimmer nods,
having heard this before. He says he’s for hire,
notch by notch. He cinches the buckle on his harness
and shimmies up the tree. Lean and supple
as a birch, he carries an uncommon strength
in his shoulders. He surveys the uncut canvas
of this job, arranging shades of green
with clips from his tool. Every limb he shaves
drops the sky a little closer. From my window, I watch
the neighbor water to the edge of his property,
his spotted dog barking at the base of the tree.
Ours is not a boundary of substance:
what’s his is his, and his is there
and mine is here. He glances up as if he hears
me think. What does he see? A woman writing at a table,
crossing tasks off her list. We need these trees,
need the tangle of new growth to obscure the ordinary
even as we cut it back, again and again.

Connie Soper is a poet based in Portland, Oregon, who published her first book of poems at the age of 74. Like a collage of memories, this collection delves into the past, always rooted in a strong sense of place. All proceeds from the sale of A Story Interrupted return to the press to support the production of future books. Connie is also the author of a non-fiction book, Exploring the Oregon Coast Trail, and her love of the Oregon landscape and all its trails is reflected in her book.

Kirsten Kowalewski is the editor for online horror fiction review resource Monster Librarian. She has an MLS and a specialist certificate in school library media from Indiana University, has worked as a children’s librarian and elementary school media specialist, and is a lifelong reader.