Fotoula Reynolds is an author of poetry. She lives in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria, Australia with her family. Living in the hills lends itself to the topics of nature where she draws inspiration from the surrounding spaces. She began writing poetry in 2016 and has published her first book of poems titled: The sanctuary of my garden (2018). Her work has been published in Australian anthologies and internationally in e-zines/journals/reviews. The Dan Poets Anthology, The Hillscene Magazine, Bonsai Journal, Spillwords Press, The Pangolin Review, The Galway Review, Frances Poetry Anthology, The Conclusion Magazine, Herstry Magazine, and Cicerone Magazine.

Missing temporarily

I could look perfect every day
And no one would know
I wear my smart clothes
And put my makeup on
But when I look
In the mirror
Into my own tired eyes
And fearing the day I die
Because I have not yet lived
I know that in this moment
I see right through my hollow-self

I’ve heard of a heavenly space
Where you can breathe a fragrance
That says I love that you are here
I think it is found in a loved one’s
Reassuring voice
And finally, finally
My shoulders sink with relief

Presence

Laid aside like a dress upon a chair
Dust rests for a hundred heart-years
Blinded, she lost faces for ever
But there is wisdom in women
A kind and omnipotent force

She is now seen in high places
Her smile lives among the stars
Astonishingly, green leaves are
Found in the flowing of her dress