Rain Dance
Yesterday, as the smoke
rode a river of wind
from the north,
the burning
of Ontario
carbon black
poured into our valley.
Thoughts turned to
breathy prayers;
take these tears
take these tears
please deliver
to thirsty needles
what is and will be.
The giants of the Boreal
burn.
In their death, sustenance,
altered carbon
for these trees
smaller than porcelain
dolls which
sit on and in mounds
of turned clay.
This morning
in soaking fog
thick with chains
of carbon
I do not believe
but know;
nothing can be created
or destroyed here.
11 thoughts on "Rain Dance"
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Really love the language. “rode a river of wind,” and “please deliver to thirsty needles what is and will be,” The ending of “I do not believe but know; nothing can be created or destroyed here” is powerful.
nice work here.
‘rode a river of wind’
beautiful
I’ve got to agree with Dustin, river of wind really drew me in on this poem, great write!
That “smaller than porcelain dolls” wowed me. And those “chains of carbon” works on so many levels. Another strong poem from Coleman.
I love that first verse so much! How you bring the burning of Ontario to the hills of Kentucky.
Love that mythic, bardic tone that creeps in here and there, as in “the giants of the Boreal / burn.”
Your love of the trees comes through vividly in this fine poem!
So good,
the smog moved in
before yesterday’s soak
& last night I slept out
in the hay field,
this morning l witnessed the
phenomenon of your poem.
Thanks
for explaining it to me
Great overtones of religion – “prayers” and “please deliver” also the “chains” at the end add weight to the poem. Beautiful words to address a current harm to the world.
You’re using words to find birth in a moment of death. Isn’t that what poets do? I salute you.
That last line is powerful strong