Heidi Kraay

ALSO A FRIEND

I am a friend to the soft snow
Outside my window
To the snow shovels pushed by gloved hands
The man bending getting rid of it
Even though I scoffed on my trek bicycle
Passing the leaf blower man
Using that loud and stinky machine
Showering away dusty flakes
I am a friend to that man
And the screaming
Polluting
Machine
Also

I am a friend to curiosity
To love and to hatred
To ambivalence and disinterest
They move through me and out of me
As a bullet moved through the Governor's brain
Through it and out of it
Attacked by a shotgun and its man
Days ago in attempted assassination
Now she lives
But never the same
Life comes and goes
What madness to believe we control it
Any of it


Heidi reads "Also a Friend":



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Heidi confesses: "After the assassination attempt on Gabrielle Giffords, I was admiring cherished moments and petty frustrations on a bike ride, seeing their similarities. Same with inhumane ugliness juxtaposed with kind sweetness—one can instantly lead into another. We’re all capable of great and horrible acts. Loving friendliness is harder than judgment."

HEIDI KRAAY writes plays, poetry, stories and essays. Additionally, she works in theater production while teaching writing through The Cabin's Writers in the Schools programs in Boise, Idaho. Some of her work has been published by The Cabin, The Zodiac Review and Bewildering Stories, among others. Her plays have been developed and produced locally, regionally, and in NYC. Heidi holds a B.A. in Theater Arts from Boise State University and especially loves bridging gaps between genres, now finishing her first novel-in-collaboration with musicians.