Down the path
Away from the road,
Bustle of the highway
In the inner quiet
Cold of winter
Emptiness, sadness,
Turn inside
Catch of air – shortness of breath
Loss of warmth
Crunch of snow
Snap of branch
Startled revelation
A burst of downy wings
Shards, detritus, clutter
Festooned the ground
A vole track
Ended abruptly
Cardboard boxes,
Phone calls
Left belongings
Of rapid parting
And decisions made
Death frozen in place
Serenely, as it should be
Impressions
Catches of light and shadow
The beat of predator feathers
Pressed
Thrust into the crust
Preserved, as in paraffin
Cataloged and filed away
Without emotion
Words and unfilled promises,
Archived, haunting
Mocking
Arc of
Feathers
Captured in the coating –
Fingers,
Hands scooping
A pile of leaves
For bagging
Holding themselves
In the hug of the
Invisible wings
Alone
Frozen image
Fleeting, under melting
Life and death
Lost in time
Transformed by internalizing
Brooding
Ponderous steps, footprints
Of the road
Down the path
I must take
June 24, 2004 15:26, about a walk on the http://hikenh.netfirms.com/TDNinete.htm>Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, http://www.hike-nh.com/trips/carter/index.shtml> Alternate site, off Router 16 just up from the Mt. Washington Auto Road, one January morning 5 years ago.
Edited June 24, 2004 19:13, adding a 4th stanza.
Edited June 24, 2004 22:02, with more of me.
(Raymond A. Foss)
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Based on Topics: Light Poems, Sadness Poems, Time Poems, Place Poems, Snow Poems, Winter Poems, Promise Poems, Telephones Poems, Hugs PoemsBased on Keywords: january, feathers, fleeting, branch, http, highway, www, melting, inner, snap, mocking