four a.m. awake
in that border place
fog to the ground
then comes snow
then ice then rain
moon rounding
walking late
in last week's storm
hundreds of ducks
crowded the curve of ice
along the river low
muttering a whisper
of wings in water
everything quiet and heavy
with snow this morning
that ice broken
and covered with crows
lifting their wings
in dissension if you
were here i would tell you
my life over a meal
pad thai or chile verde
some too-bright too-
loud restaurant you
passing through and i
pale and lost days
at a time -- i dream
a magician makes things
appear, disappear
the kestrel takes
sparrows every day
from the garden and now
a red-tailed hawk
takes another i look
in the mirror and see
that my neck has fallen
my breasts my belly
irresistibly attracted
to earth and i find it
no consolation that
this attraction is
mutual that this ground
rises to meet my foot
the sky is still black
the dogs are still
sleeping and a hand
to the window-pane
pulls back chilled
--
Sharon Brogan
http://www.sbpoet.com
|