Tag Archives: water

2026, Ohio River Valley Literature, poetry, the no-scape

[The Water Dragon in the Year of the Fire Horse]

The soundtrack for reentry involves a strong base line
an electric guitar, and deep earth anger focused
into high beam love.

What the mistake is, is believing love just is light.
Love is also the dark byproduct, the will, the drive
the expansive power to move the engines of all the worlds.
Love lives in the dark and shimmers and calls forth.

Rolling out to Baltimore on a not too full bus, I remembered myself.
The mind unknotting itself, the bones
untangle and unfurl. I am the night hawk of light and shadow
an eclipse, a solar wind, a lunar soul, a wing, a song, a convection current, a prevailing wind.

These wings, these feet, these lungs inhale
thunder and exhale lightning. Returned, rested, and embraced
I breathe fire and plumb the deepest channels
upon which the entire globe floats.

Standard
2024, Ohio River Valley Literature, poetry, river life

The storied water in dead eyes, 21

I pray for my father’s eyes, the jade pearls they were
and move the gears forward.
These legs, going on will rely more n’ more
on crank grease
and habit.

I pray for my mother’s heart and watch the water. Kindness rises:
white caps before a storm.
This summer all humanity’s remains push south on heavy barges
pushed by racing tugs.

The Ferry Man is busy carting tired bones.

Standard
2024, Ohio River Valley Literature, poetry, the no-scape, Working Class Literature

The storied water in dead eyes, 10

She comes for the stories, for a borrowed rememberance she cannot name. The water calls the dragonfly girl, teases and repulses; a memory of swimming long before sprouting legs.

Would you know the difference between swimming and flying if there was no life outside water?

Standard