Startled by Existence

Poem Palette: Napkin notes from an embryonic poem flash: 1989

Angel-air

Umber stair

Oh how your hair blows about

Gold cascade of cirrus wisp …

Wind and wheat, Pewter heat

Hot old oak, corn and oat

Stuff of twine, stuff of air

Wind and hay

Are blended there.

and what it became…

1990 Prairie Girl:

In Oklahoma, oak trees keep their leaves

(Albeit that they look like mud)

through the stripping winter blast,

even to the time when Red Bud bud.

 

So, when all the leaves that will fall  - fall

Into the bags we’ve placed to catch 'em,

We flee, to a land of wafting umber,

Under the wild sky

Where light, and line, and twine emerge

In a surge of tall grass habitat.

 

Twenty miles west of town,

We round the river bend and then

exit, “S”ing upward

into Prue, through these hills of calico –

Oh! What variety of brown.

 

Down a copper canyon

Up a chocolate hill,

Allemande left to the Cinnamon hill.

Bow to your partner, kiss her cheek,

Park the car and let wind speak!

 

--

The sweep before our eyes is

all staccato, shredded wheat--

the stuff of cereal

ethereal,

with toast...

an undulating ocean

made of wooden grass;

 

The waves go out like weaving rain,

We hear the crash of distant surf --

Or sometimes – with the heavy wind

The sound of padded bamboo clicking,

Every thing is moving but

the stalwart rocks

or blackened remnants of hardwood trees, strewn Bold

like cracks on the sky.

 

The day goes late

With wash of rye, marmalade and gold

 

And Kerry looks o’r the prairie

Her hair washing back

Like these heavenly weeds.