The Meadow Holds Her Breath This Morning
The meadow holds her breath this morning–
Exhaling nothing.
Even the grass frozen
As she lies mute and bound
The rounded hills of her chest tight with life restrained
With cries she dares not sound.
A captive, petrified in the steely chains of Winter,
Waiting for the summer sun or even its paler solstice twin
To heat her bonds and melt her free.
Every tree and every bush and every blade of grass strains upwards to attention–
The eager antennae of her body alert, alive within their icy sheaths.
Silent. Still. Straining every sense to hear–
All of her frozen
Immobilized with fear–
Dreading the return of Winter’s cruel grasp.
Only the rush of rivulets swollen from recent rains
Run like blood thrumming through her veins
Each one racing to the sea,
Carrying particulates of self and soil
A trail of vital fluid to lead the lost steelhead home.
As if in answer to her heart’s blood’s call
A blanket of silver fog rolls upwards
Shielding her shoulders
Exhaling warmth from her wandering lover, the sea.
Muffling even the pulsing of the stream.
In the cottoned silence,
My black dog throws up a drum roll of black birds
From amongst the stiff, unmoving grass.
And the sound shatters silence
Like a rock shatters glass.
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We love this poem. It is very evocative. Impressive.
We love this poem. It is very evocative. Impressive.
Thanks. This morning was so beautiful with fog and frost battling over the hillside.
Yes it was. Yet I doubt that everyone was fully aware. Thank you for noticing and reminding us. …And, please, consider swapping chrystalline for unmoving in the last stanza. 🙂 mark
How about Crystal? I didn’t like the 3 syllables of unmoving but was running out of time to write and so surrendered to less than perfect in several spots.
Yes it was. Yet I doubt that everyone was fully aware. Thank you for noticing and reminding us. …And, please, consider swapping chrystalline for unmoving in the last stanza. 🙂 mark
How about Crystal? I didn’t like the 3 syllables of unmoving but was running out of time to write and so surrendered to less than perfect in several spots.
pure excellence!
pure excellence!
Kym,
That was beautiful! Thank you for sharing with all of us– Kyle
Kym,
That was beautiful! Thank you for sharing with all of us– Kyle
Thanks everyone.
Thanks everyone.
Lovely! And to think some locals would rather be in a warm tropical place and miss these winter scenes.
If I were going to take a months vacation, I’d go in August–my least favorite month.
Lovely! And to think some locals would rather be in a warm tropical place and miss these winter scenes.
If I were going to take a months vacation, I’d go in August–my least favorite month.
You’ve done a couple of poems lately, Kym, and I really like them. Your lines are a lovely compliment to your images. This one is just stunning. Thank you so much for sharing! And keep the poems coming!
You’ve done a couple of poems lately, Kym, and I really like them. Your lines are a lovely compliment to your images. This one is just stunning. Thank you so much for sharing! And keep the poems coming!
Thanks Jen. I love poetry but sometimes I feel it and it comes. And, sometimes it doesn’t. And what I have time for is what comes in a rush but not for editing so sadly you all get some rough stuff.
Thanks Jen. I love poetry but sometimes I feel it and it comes. And, sometimes it doesn’t. And what I have time for is what comes in a rush but not for editing so sadly you all get some rough stuff.