Waiting in Wilderness: poem by Cody Adams

sword hilt, image by Eveline de Bruin, on Pixabay, slightly modified

Waiting in Wilderness

Years pass through me like 

a stream through young woodlands. 

My trees grow rings, 

trunks become plump. 

Gnarly branches get mangled 

by seemingly random gusts.

Roots sew needles through loam 

haunted by every single thing 

that’s ever tasted death, 

save One. 

I grip the hilt of eternal hope, 

knowing the hatchet still cuts, 

that rain-drenched years 

only make it sharper, and 

His mouth is already 

bent into a smile that can 

never perish, spoil, or fade.

Cody Adams is an English Teacher from Buffalo, NY. His poetry has appeared

in Ekstasis Magazine, Three Line Poetry, Cacti Fur, among others. He received

the 2016 Clarence Amann award for his short story “Unstuck.” He also serves

as a Board Member for Forefront Festival.

September 2025 issue