—Poems and Photos by Taylor Graham, Placerville, CA
ISLAND IN THE SNOW
Morning dawned gray as twilit snow.
No sun. No lights—power’s out.
Oak trees weighted down by comforters
of cold.
Scrape the windshield—no.
Driveway’s blocked, a jackstraw heap
of fallen trees & broken branches all the way
down to the gate. Live oak can’t bear snow.
Nobody’s plowed the road.
It’s not supposed to snow
like this, so low. Remember up the mountain—
6 days snowbound without power, road,
or phone. But who expected it here?
Back in the house, throw another log
on the fire, we’re not going anywhere.
Water beads popping
on the wood-stove, kettle simmering for tea,
toast in the cast-iron skillet.
No TV news? it’s all bad anyway.
No phone? no robo calls! The room’s
warm with scent of oak cozying to flame,
faint fragrance of woodsmoke.
Primal smells to take us
back—maybe this won’t last 6 days.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
Morning dawned gray as twilit snow.
No sun. No lights—power’s out.
Oak trees weighted down by comforters
of cold.
Scrape the windshield—no.
Driveway’s blocked, a jackstraw heap
of fallen trees & broken branches all the way
down to the gate. Live oak can’t bear snow.
Nobody’s plowed the road.
It’s not supposed to snow
like this, so low. Remember up the mountain—
6 days snowbound without power, road,
or phone. But who expected it here?
Back in the house, throw another log
on the fire, we’re not going anywhere.
Water beads popping
on the wood-stove, kettle simmering for tea,
toast in the cast-iron skillet.
No TV news? it’s all bad anyway.
No phone? no robo calls! The room’s
warm with scent of oak cozying to flame,
faint fragrance of woodsmoke.
Primal smells to take us
back—maybe this won’t last 6 days.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
THREE TURKEYS TWO
Three wild turkeys foraged the lawn at Human
Services, strolling Spring St. Always three,
at home in this easy-going part of town.
Last week—two wild turkeys poised on Spring
St. centerline gazing off in opposite directions.
Lost. Yesterday, two turkeys wandering slowly,
slowly giving long-drawn urgent unmusical calls.
Has hope given up to grief? Are those the
proper terms, in speaking of turkeys?
GREEN VELVET STEPS
Find the path that’s mossed,
sunlit on the climbing side,
and shadowed under.
It beckons us to follow
the way the winter woods go.
LOOK
Black kitten, image of indolence stretched out
on the chair. Kudos to whoever said
“Love is a four-legged word.”
Still, in an instant—imperceptibly, a flowing—
he’s under the table with a pen, pencil,
bird-quill stolen from the stoneware bowl—
batting it out of sight.
Now fumbling the kitchen cabinet
to slither inside, hunt the dark, clink the glass-
ware. I retrieve my pencil
and put the cupboard to rights
and he’s at the sliding glass door
jabbering his kitty “chit-chit-chitter” at birds
scrabbling seed right in front of him
on the other side of glass—
a tease that throws him into a race
around the room causing
the dog to chase him. Immediate
gratification as he leaps beyond her reach,
sending a lamp flying, and we humans
blame the dog. Look! is a four-legged word.
THE NEW KITTEN
Sunlight filters his sleep through glass,
pinpoint pupils alight-wakeful.
We picked him on faith not asking
his provenance.
A latch is proof
he needs no wrench to enter.
Don’t confuse him with mini-panther.
He sweetens your lap with purr.
Paper Person
WHAT CAN WE DO?
inspired by D.R. Wagner’s “Open Channel”
and “Paper Person” sculpture by Kim Abeles
He pursues in white-shadow flight
my footsteps in the hollow hall. Terrible
knowledge in his heart, his paper innards—
collected transcripts of our lives, bills paid
or not, plates and straws, maps and wipes,
homework assignments and old drafts,
memos and memories put down black on
white. He’s made, they say, of a single
day’s paper-trash, but he’s heavy as fate.
Suspended above the great hall he pursues
us. With no mouth he screams my name,
our collective names salvaged from
the dumpster, cleaned and ironed flat,
fabricated as monster Man.
Note: Paper Person Sculpture made from paper trash that was generated by visitors to California Science Center on Earth Day 2009, 5’ x 40’ x 48’ (www.wescover.com/p/art-and-wall-decor-by-kim-abeles-at-california-science-center--PrJB4ktfEUX/.)
Today’s LittleNip:
ON THE EDGE BETWEEN
—Taylor Graham
Oak woods and weedy
field—cover for small creatures—
hawk sits on fencepost
not moving except for her
quicker-than-iPad-lens eyes.
_______________________
A big thank-you to Taylor Graham for today’s fine poems and pix! Tonight’s poetry event in Sacramento is Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe, with featured readers and open mic, 8pm. Scroll down to the blue column (under the green column at the right) for info about this and other upcoming poetry events in our area—and note that more may be added at the last minute.
—Medusa
—Anonymous Photo
Love is in the air…
Celebrate poetry!
Celebrate poetry!
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