A Poem by Bryan Damien Nichols

Nature's Signals

The grass billows
In the wind's grace.
Blossoms bulge
Wherever they are,
And because they are.

These crowns of
Waving green,
Of waving red,
Yellow, blue, and orange
Are like flags.

They signal not
The beauty we see,
But the beauty they are.



Sunset

A brushstroke of deep orange shrinks
On the horizon:  the night drips
Into the patio.  It's all been
Happening, gradually, to the taste
Of grapefruit.  I've been

Thinking about my ability to think,
And wondering why I wonder.




Bryan Damien Nichols was born in Houma, Louisiana, on August 30, 1978.  He earned a B.A., summa cum laude, in Philosophy from Baylor University, and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.  He has practiced law both in Houston and in Texas' Rio Grande Valley.  Bryan currently lives in Los Fresnos, Texas, with his loving wife, Michelle.  Bryan is best known for the poetry he writes through his two heteronyms:  (1) Kjell Nykvist; and (2) Alexander Shacklebury.  These two heteronyms were featured in Bryan's debut poetry collection, Whispers From Within (Sarah Book Publishing).  In his new collection, by contrast, Bryan writes in his own name, and explores numerous themes and issues that are important to him personally.  Through his heteronyms, and in his own name, Bryan has been published in dozens of literary journals, ezines, magazines, and anthologies.