Dudley Hiles
Dudley Hales is our cover poet.
Dudley Hiles began writing poetry
at a young age. He was born and
raised in Iowa, and lives now with
his very supportive wife Debra in
Cedar Rapids. At age 40 he
decided not to let his blue collar
background deter him; after being
a finalist in Winning Writers 2004
War Poetry Contest. You will find
his writing elsewhere, by
searching his name on the Internet.
Dudley Hiles began writing poetry
at a young age. He was born and
raised in Iowa, and lives now with
his very supportive wife Debra in
Cedar Rapids. At age 40 he
decided not to let his blue collar
background deter him; after being
a finalist in Winning Writers 2004
War Poetry Contest. You will find
his writing elsewhere, by
searching his name on the Internet.
Free To Fail
A small poem she is...
plain-looking and unable to catch
the meter of her breath.
I found her wandering
the amusement park
of harsh critics.
She wears the sheer clothing
of poor grammar.
Her speech slurred
with loose punctuation,
as she stutters in stanzas
about brokeness and pain.
Made pregnant in youth
by the handsome lover
named writing. . . .
I adore her courage.
She will never find fame,
but found enough words
to build her ladder of escape.
To twirl and dance for me,
and the mother who birthed her,
on the bare mattress of a blank page.
She visits me again, and again,
like a nesting porch sparrow.
Knowing she is free to fail
under the light of my reading lamp.