Once, in the attic,a marble – black as holes –rolled to me – came to reston the floorboards –below the rafters –cathedral and coarse. Once, in the attic,among the dustlightand distended grilleswhere I stood, a marblerolled to me – came to restin a joint, sprung from frostand heave. And once, in the attic,a man took […]
Steve had a blue tarp and two doe tags so we were certain that when he returned we would know. When he split down 425 in his late-model red Silverado, the mud from last night’s rain gave way and the new ruts stretched over the rise as dawn broke. Nothing to do but wait – […]
I am the spawn of an unused condomon a bedside table and a briefdisregard for outcome.I would not call it love. No. And there it is – I am – convulsedinto some cold gloved handsand thence pampered, moldedand slow mouldering – kneadedas dough – risen as a loafof will and long odds. And what greater […]
First the eagle glid low overhead.Then the farm cat, lame and tabby,limped from bumper to dumpster,while we smokedand whined about our day. Image: Patrick Brinksma on Unsplash
But for the pheasant’s coppered wing the fieldsin sculpted snows ne’er bring the promised yieldsnor pleasures found ‘til light does crest the riseat dawn and ambers claw upon the eyes. To wake and wonder here among such thingsas iridescence glides there down and bringsunto these smothered lands and frostbit handsa hope that winter’s scoff no […]
Silent where they fell,spent ash, dog hair, coffee grounds.Silent as they were when useful –for buzz, for warmth, for waking, nowbits of grit to grind down the slippersand vanished for a pleasure. Silent where they fell,old debts dismembered,chunks of glass that could perhapsbe re-assembled as candy dishesor ashtrays – maybe porcheswhere the chew jaw geezerstook […]
It is not the sapling or bit snowthat scrapes the window, coaxing,Come out little boy, come out –Come out where the sting wind blowsCome out where the wind plays a saplingas a rube to scratch its bidding on a window.That little life left tight against the foundationmissed in the pruning now the dim wittedaccomplice to […]
