. . . We’ve chosen to believe that lines are more
important than lives, and categories are the most
salient aspects of relationships with other people
The rigid lines of men are hard to breach, and harder
still to change, to amend and correct especially after
hundreds, and more years, of offense, of wickedness and
minds hard-set in what was, but should no longer be,
the concrete of history cast in perfidious molds
made out of bent and tortured lives
New templates are required now to blur those lines
to wrap hard edges in soft velvet, in the flutter of
hummingbird wings and the tender melodies of love
Excerpt from the book, “ENOUGH say their names.”
Amalie Rush Hill
Amalie Rush Hill is an artist and writes poetry, novels, essays, and short stories. Her Ambolaja science fiction series includes Ambolaja: Into the Light, Discontinuity, The Shoals Of Time and Z’Torr. Her first book of poetry is The House on Prune Alley and she is working on several more collections. Three of her poems appear in each of the Bob Hill Publishing anthologies Moments Before Midnight and Terra Incognita. Her artwork appears on her book covers. From early childhood, Amalie spent most of her time drawing, reading, and even before learning to read, she scribbled stories on scraps of paper to tell her mother. Fortunately, both of her parents were artists who encouraged her creative endeavors. A quiet child, her mother could take her anywhere, and so she listened and observed, watching people’s mannerisms and even taking in their home decor. Since her time as a theatre major with art and English minors at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, she has continued exploring diverse fields of interest such as history, religion, and metaphysics because she has never ceased wanting to know more. She is currently indulging her curiosity by studying quantum physics, not as a physicist or mathematician, but as a lover of science, new knowledge, and the mind-bending possibilities of its weirdness. Amalie is a member of the Oregon Poetry Association, the Mid-Valley Poetry Society, and has been a regular participant in open mics, and as a featured reader in Eugene, Salem, and the Portland area. She currently participates in Zoom poetry readings. Amalie has been married to Bob Hill since 1968. Bob’s mother, two dogs, and four cats live with them on a rural tree farm near Salem, OR. They have two sons and five grandchildren who live in Salem and Portland. Her poetry is often inspired by the trees and wildlife surrounding their home.
