Shadows of Silence

Firecloud

—Poems and Photos by Taylor Graham, Placerville, CA

SOUNDS IN SILENCE

Does not everything depend on our interpretation of the silence around us?  

                        —Lawrence Durrell, Justine                                     

Miles from trailhead, aspen leaves quivered
with angels of a night-breeze.
Teammates muffled in their mummy bags, asleep.
I drifted too, and dreamed old friends
dead. I woke to voices, the down-gaze of stars.
Creek flowing its own messages, words
I could almost understand;
lake murmuring against its shore rocks,
every syllable dissolving in water.
Words of peace, erosion.

SWEEP OF SILENCE

Any port in a drought: the doe chose our dry acres, dropped her newborn fawn at field’s edge. He tried to organize his legs to stand; I locked my dog away. Glimpses of doe below the garden. At last, days without a sighting. Had fawn found a flaw in our fence and followed his mother into the wild? Quiet as I could, in silence of our land I walked the creekbed gathering shade of oaks; a crooked sweep across dry-grass swale. Overwhelming silence. No rush of hooves, no rustle through thistle. Doe and fawn gone to their world.

will the wild forgive
my heavy footsteps, my noise?
this blessed silence

RED SUNSET

A fireburst cloud
over oak woods gathering
dark for coming night—
omen? what does it portend?
Don’t ask the sky for answers.

CARBON COPIES

Typewriter Improv Poetry for Overland Stage Rides on Main Street

A young man stands admiring my vintage typewriter’s worn-out ribbon that leaves no trace on a blank sheet of paper. Beneath, carbon paper records my poem in-progress; his wife won’t see it till I unwind it from carriage and give it to her. His surprise, for her rare day of freedom—nine hours without the kids. Cloudless day, hot. Free stagecoach rides; local ladies in period dress, no doubt sweating. An outrider appears; all heads turn to watch the stage, ghostly remnant from days before color photographs. For the man’s wife, a poem on Charley Parkhurst: six-in-hand driver, “best whip in California.” Man’s garb and eye-patch from being kicked by a horse. Her legend squares with freedom: no carbon-copy of her era’s expectations in black-and-white, its corsets and crinolines heavy as marble.

high on driver’s seat,
wind in her never-bearded
face, king of the road

SLOW DOWN

Our modern world has erected its memorial
structure at a curve, 4 warning arrows
striking copper against headlights. I step aside
and begin my climb, past witches-broomstick
of an ancient pine rooted in the rocky body
our hill. Neon eyes in gathering shadow.
No unicorn in these woods, but a beast more
common, rarely seen alive and face-to-face.
Raccoon or fox? The spirit of the place.
   
_________________

DARK OF THE MIND

You’re walking below
gathering shadow
to see
where the wild thoughts flow
out of sight. Solo
you’ll be
on this quest to know
ash and afterglow,
the sea

of deep memory.
Reflective misty
echo.
A still leafing tree
rooted shivery.
Billow
of cloud turned stormy.
In wind blowing free
you go.

Today’s LittleNip:

GONE
—Taylor Graham

In a neat grass cup
in the bluebird nesting box
I found four blue eggs;
then four tiny dark fuzzies;
then blue feathers; then fledged, gone.

_______________________

Gratitude to Taylor Graham today for poems and photos about her part of the world! There’s always something going on, on the Western Slope.

This just in: two readings tonight! Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe will feature Matt Canty plus open mic, 8pm. That’s 1414 16th St. in Sacramento. Free, but please partake of Art Luna’s fine food and libations. Also at 8pm tonight: Carol Lynn Stevenson Grellas, Bob Stanley and open mic. at the John Natoulas Gallery, 521 1st St., Davis. Scroll down to the blue column (under the green column at the right) for info about these and other upcoming poetry events in our area—and note that more may be added at the last minute.

—Medusa, celebrating poetry!

 Taylor Graham and Sue Crisp type out Improv Poetry 

on Main Street, Placerville

Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.