Over The Fence

because we are told fences make for good neighbors fences are built on good intentions / even when over the fence you see the neighbor has added. . . [fill in the blanks. . . . ] and you add your own [fill in the blanks. . . . ] even when your county’s ordinances say in so many words any new fencing can be no higher than 38 inches above the ground which is to say this fence can never be high enough to hide a neighbor’s intentions even yours a fence eight feet tall built of planks you figure match his & your rough intentions / because / 20 years on / 40 ACQ pressure-treated fence posts cobbled into high groundwater rot / because these hidden rivers will undercut even the best intentions / because the posts will need to be reset / because fences do not keep their promise any more than nostalgia can keep out what’s become [fill in the blanks]

Connie Wieneke’s recent work has appeared in Stand, High Desert Journal, The Forge Literary Magazine, Weber, Split Rock Review, and Talking River Review. Her prose and poetry also have appeared in several anthologies, including Orison 6 Anthology and Rewilding: Poems for the Environment. Since 1983 she has lived in Wyoming, where she has worn many hats and is keen on collaborative projects of all kinds. Her writing is fueled by family and relationships with the land and all its myriad inhabitants and conflicts. She received an MFA from the University of Montana and two literary fellowships from the Wyoming Arts Council.