In bed with her with curlers

the night before the big day

eighth grade graduation

for their oldest girl who also

slept in the pink foamy things

after fidgeting and sighing

stirring half the night

Charlie asked her to undo

all she was holding together

for later for the effect that

she wanted to be perfect

said who is the hairdo for

anyway Evaleen said okay

went to the bathroom and

left the door wide so he

could watch while she

unwound each lock of hair

shook and combed it out

for the shine bounce and flair

for him not some old PTA

Paul Hunter

These and twenty-some others grew out of a long poem about shy country people finding love, a piece called “Luminaries” that first appeared in his third farming book called “Come the Harvest” (Silverfish Review Press, 2008).