she talked through the night
through the stars
through the etched
inkblot trees
through the paper-dry leaves
tumbling
in their rustling passage
along empty streets
she talked through her breath
heavy
with the fumbling blind darkness
softly packed
into the doorways
and alleys
carefully
avoiding
the quick sulfur bloom
of the lights
she talked
until suddenly
ensnared
in the tree's
fingers
and do you know -
she lowered her voice
and whispered
an old song
about the time when the sun
and the moon
and the earth
were all one
and there was nothing else
but a wish
and even
as i stared at her
stopped there
in the spindly branches
even
as the thought
formed in my mouth
and shaped my lips
to ask
about the wish
the fingers of a breeze
pulled the branches apart
and she slipped free
across
a sky
suddenly
heavy with stars
and laden with hopefulness
Steven, this is fantastic. I read it out loud and just absolutely loved this poem!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful poem! I love the last stanza so much.
ReplyDeletesteven - such an enchanting poem. love how you have her slip free of the branches ...
ReplyDeleteOh my God, Steven. I wish I could think of some new way to say what I think every day here at your blog:
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE BRILLIANT!! Wow.
Luna was talking to me, too, last night. Busy night, listening to her stories.
rick thankyou. the wirds literally tumbled out exactly as they appear. there was more but i lost my focus. steven
ReplyDeletejoanna thankyou. as i mentioned to rick (above) there was more after this but i lost my connection to it. steven
ReplyDeletebonnie the moon was so like my focus - caught in the branches of my imagining and then just as suddenly set free. steven
ReplyDeletereya - thankyou very much. this is so generous and humbling. i feel so fortunate to have the privilege of sharing my words and pictures here. steven
ReplyDeleteWow! so beautiful steven. And I love the new header!
ReplyDeleteWhat a shining poem!
ReplyDeleteAs my husband and I left for the symphony last night, I remarked on the "beauty of Selene" (her Greek name)to him. She was truly luminous, and I now wish I would have listened to her more closely.
Thank you steven, that was a gift of a poem. I stepped outside.
ReplyDeleteA piece to be proud of, steven.
ReplyDeleteHi Steven,
ReplyDeleteI've been away from your blog for a while, though I love your poems and photographs- just busy and distracted.
The title of this poem drew me in, and then your words- I could not stop reading them. This is one of the most beautiful poems I've ever read in my life. Flowing from the heart, it is perfectly constructed and startling in its beauty.
hi annie - it's nice to see you and to read your very thoughtful thoughts! thankyou very much. steven
ReplyDeletefriko thankyou. it's a poem like a dream - one of those dreams where you remember the essence but not the whole in detail. steven
ReplyDeletethankyou titus - i'm gratfeul for this . . . high praise from a skilled poet!! steven
ReplyDeletejo there are stories being told everywhere by everything. so many stories. steven
ReplyDeleteellen - thankyou and thankyou. the header is what is left of a large plant in my garden. it'll be back in half a year. steven
ReplyDeleteMy favorite poem of yours, Steven - this one sings.
ReplyDeletegolden west - thankyou. it was one of the easiest to write. as i mentioned above though . . . i know there's more to it but the flow just ended when i lost my focus. otherwise the words just tumbled out and i wrote them as is. steven
ReplyDelete