there are still coyotes here
you can hear them at night,
they’re in the ravine
he’s here all right
you can tell by the unpredictable weather
the electricity and the danger in the air
we should have known
a few simple roads wouldn’t stop him
why did we even try
we choose not to hear the howling
we like to believe it’s a long way off
or that the city will protect us
these roads, fences, these lines on maps
it’s all arbitrary:
he does whatever he wants
Kelly Shepherd, South Korea
7 comments:
Kelly Shepherd ( http://www.kellyshepherd.com) is a Canadian currently living and teaching in South Korea. He writes for DailyHaiku.org and the Gwangju News, and has had numerous past publications in print journals and anthologies. Some of these particular poems are from his 2003 chapbook Circumambulations, printed by Reykjavik's Publishing Beyond Borders
Really enjoyed this. Shows how nature knows no boundaries. Only man has boundaries.
Love the coyote--
it's all arbitrary:/he does whatever he wants
Can I just put a vote in here, not only for this fantastic and careful animal poem, beautifully made, but also for the way Bolts Of Silk picks up a theme and weaves it so wonderfully, voices from all over the world, different perspectives and always reflecting your immaculate taste, Juliet. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is beyond taste and into the realm of the true role of the 'editor'. There is a form of gentle guidance, respect and integrity to an ideal that runs right through your collection here. I applaud your sterling work and greatly look forward to your continued success.
Paul you say the sweetest things, thanks. I'm glad at least someone notices my attempts to weave patterns through the poems here!
Humans are marking their boundaries in much the same way other wild animals do. Thoughtful poetry.
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