Something Walked In (from the journal)

The cool morning turned

up to a furnace in the time it takes

to brew a pot of tea.

In the heavy air, the trees move slowly.  7-5-12

The cicadas have found their way

up the trees.  They sing counterpoint

to the crows.  Late summer come early.  7-5-12

A bee in the sharon.

Another bee in another sharon.

Me, watching the pokeberries swell.

It’s a swell morning.  7-10-12

In the noisy morning

dove’s hollow call—

a sphere of solitude

answered now

by a faraway other.  7-11-12

Berries weigh the poke.

The hound weighs the morning.

Heavy heat weighs the air.

A leaf spins on a spider line

in a breath of air the giant dragonfly

just stirred up.  7-16-12

Startling, last night’s rain suddenly falling

out of the myrtle, sounding like something

walking with intent, pushing ahead,

first through the creeper,

then the sassafras,

then through columbine’s dry seed pods,

then to me, turning to see who,

who comes, who leads with awareness

through the thick, damp wood.

Something walked in,

turned the wood poppy leaves

to their autumn color,

gave me a breath, 

a turning breath.  7-16-12

Chickadee flew through the star tree.

She took something along the way—

a glance from wren, from redbird,

from me.  7-18-12

Yesterday’s rain is still falling

in tiny drops that do not hinder

carpenter bee while pink is calling,

the rosy sharons open enough

in the rain.  7-22-12

Sieboldii’s vertical leaves

hold the silver rain,

the quiet jewels spaced evenly

like breath in a slow time.  7-22-12

A warm day.

The air would be cool if it moved.

Cicada moves.  7-24-12

Sharp in the cool morning—

hibiscus shadows,

crow calling.

And then, the soft cicadas.  7-25-12

A hedge of pokeweeds.

Who else has one?

Wren nosedives in.  7-25-12

Yesterday, hickory’s first leaves turned,

startling one in the dark room, drawing.

The sudden autumn gold cast vibrations

across the thin tracing paper as thin

and as blue as the face of time, turning,

folding summer down.  7-29-12

Catbird has taken the first purple

pokeberries.  The empty pink stalks

stretch upright like flowers.  7-31-12