The wind is a novice
instrument, a loud puckered
mouth. The house, creaking
joints and walls shudder with
the push of dust. In the dark,
it’s easy to pretend everything 
is destroyed. 

In the morning, the yard 
is stuck with branches,
great limbs of maple.
Dad is tying a rope 
around the apple tree, 
collecting cedar slabs
of the fence, 
blown open 
on one 
corner

—

Matt Gano is a career author and creative writing instructor with over 15 years of classroom experience as an Artist-In-Residence for Seattle Arts and Lectures, Writers in the Schools, and as a traveling Teaching Artist for the Skagit River Poetry Foundation. He is currently a Program Manager and Creative Arts instructor for The Bureau of Fearless Ideas.

Matt is author of Suits for the Swarm, (MoonPath Press), co-founder of the Seattle Youth Poet Laureate Program, and former director of Fremont Abbey Arts Center’s NEXT STAGE program. His work in performance, on page, and in the classroom has led to a host of acclaimed invitations including, guest instructor at the Juilliard School in NYC, workshop leader for the Youth Creativity Summit in Seoul Korea, resident guest instructor at the Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity in Hong Kong, and repeat panelist and featured poet for the Skagit River Poetry Festival (2013-2022).