The Other Life

by Daniel Thomas

He takes a stuttered step
to the side, like a man
who abandons the stage, strides
toward the darkness of the wings,
after spending hours
in a painted set, locked
in another’s life, and exits
the stage door into
a light snowfall—
the flakes brush his cheeks,
cling to his hair; his shoes
squeak down the alley;
the rush of sudden cold
opens his lungs, wakes
his weary eyes, and there
he is, himself again,
present
to the flurried, muted light.

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Daniel Thomas’s third poetry collection, River of Light, was published by Shanti Arts Publishing in 2025. His previous books are Leaving the Base Camp at Dawn and Deep Pockets. He has published poems in many journals, including Southern Poetry Review, Nimrod, Poetry Ireland Review, Amethyst Review, Radix, Atlanta Review, and others. More info at danielthomaspoetry.com