Managing Editor Lisa Ampleman: This poem masterfully uses the movement of the sentence across line breaks to tell a tough story (N.B., including domestic violence and violence against animals, in broad strokes). The subject moves from harm to care as it demonstrates how deeply we can support others in friendship.

May the circle be broken

A friend was beaten by his father
and mother, more and harder
by his father, so at times
he took refuge with his mother,
who was also beaten by his father,
and all of them, even my friend,
beat their dog, he admitted
while petting mine and explaining
why he’ll never have kids,
only goldfish, on the deck
with beer and sunshine, crows
and a monster truck revving
next door, on the other side
of some junipers and a universe
away from my friend’s quiet hands,
hands he soaks in honey
to keep them sweet, not even
a bird or cat, nothing
that might inspire a fist, fists
were your real parents,
I started to tell him,
but wondered why
I hadn’t lifted him by then
and cradled him in my arms
backward through time
and tucked him in
to being four and loved,
which is all a friend
can never do