Friday 31 October 2008

Brown Man by Arthur Durkee

Rise up falling, corn-sheaves bunched gather rustling stacks by porch swing pillar gate, tan brown still green, green man greening fading to browning man brown cornstalk effigy, leaffall crackle redtouch handscorched bright mark crumble. Old year humus sweat water shell, fill soak forest floor, redbird chitter pine call. Tone of oakleaf belling tree, chime of branch on trunk. Matted brow unfold from mushroom-capped tree-crook. Tamarack and fire maple, twine wind twist vinehair eye open to aching blue of sky. Pines laugh unfallen. Sudden torso, mossed limbs. Heart leaves opening, petaled fingers spread reach grasp out to touch. Wrapped in brown stag cloak and river shimmer, tired eyes drooping towards winter, dissolve merge burrow sink in leaf loam, wild turkeys fly between bare tree branches high over red amber moonrise.

acorn, dream deep
of land soon covered, still:
memories of snow


Arthur Durkee, USA

2 comments:

Cynthia said...

love the natural quality of your
poem, the shades of nature and
the calling, the honoring, reminds
me of native american tribute to
the land and the human beings
who respect her.

Every Photo Tells A Story said...

I really like this. Very different. Love this line "petaled fingers spread reach grasp out to touch," and, this one," Tamarack and fire maple, twine wind twist vinehair eye open to aching blue of sky."

Thank you.