Kentucky Soil
hub of mud
brown-rich mound
the old men called living
what lies underground
car-bound and car-binded
down Athens-Boonesboro
Kentucky soil
southbound 75
slowly sinking into Palisade pit
I hated when they boom-and-blasted
the limestone ridges near home
the new cut slid away from itself
raw white sharp
weeping groundwater down its face
the old cuts
rust-streaked cedar root
on the breaches
vine let down
the rock like hair
you can date a wound by its color
and here it is
again turned skyward
Kentucky soil
deeper than the color
of pennies
of blood
underground hauled up
to face the sky
it pains me
you know
to see you like this
23 thoughts on "Kentucky Soil"
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Powerful stuff!
Thank you Pauletta!
This poem has its own BOOM! I love the “you can date a wound by its color” line. Superb poem to the very last line. Awesome!
Thank you so much HA!
Shew! :
the new cut slid away from itself
raw white sharp
weeping groundwater down its face
Thank you Pam!
using space in such an interesting way! so inspirational
Thank you Nel! I keep trying to make myself do more with form
Well penned, Shaun.
Thanks so much, John!
This is fantastic! Love the images of the rock “weeping groundwater down its face” and “…vine let down the rock like hair.”
Thank you, Chelsie!
Sounded great on KSPS tonight!
Thank you Linda!
Loved the longing and reverence of this poem. What powerful images in:
the new cut slid away from itself
raw white sharp
weeping groundwater down its face
the old cuts
rust-streaked cedar root
on the breaches
vine let down
the rock like hair
The line “you can date a wound by its color” took my breath away.
Thank you, Karen! That line was a surprise to me!
“The color of pennies and blood” says it all.
Thank you, Carole!
This is so visceral— I feel the pain of the soil right along with you. What a wonderful elegy!
And goodness, seems I missed a lot of great readings on KSPS last night!
Thanks, Michele! It was a wonderful reading (as usual!)–wish you were there && maybe next time!
it pains me / you know / to see you like this
I can feel the pain, Shaun. Learn much from your poems, Thanks for sharing
I really appreciate your kind words–and being able to learn from one another.
Loved hearing you read this last night, Shaun!
“you can date a wound by its color” – so many levels to this!