poetry – Page 43 – Carrie Birde

Dorr Mountain — A Poem

Dorr Mountain, Acadia 2018.jpg — “Dorr Mountain” — C.Birde, 10/10

Be strong. Be steady. Be alert. In body, mind, and spirit.

Embody the mountain. Dorr Mountain. Acadia.

Kurt Diederich’s Climb, elder among trails,

shaped with the Park’s founding –

a series of steps and stairs cut from the mountain itself,

connected by packed earth trails

that track those slopes and edges.

The strength of purpose,

the steadiness of planning

required to create such possibility;

the alertness necessary to climb those stairs…

when I want only to look at everything…

everything…

from each angle and every curve, ascending, descending…

trees, ferns, moss, and smooth blush-shouldered stones;

each creature that creeps, leaps, flits, soars;

the great, vast, all-embracing sea-blue sky;

when I want only to inhale everything…

everything…

the clean damp smell of earth and leaf and pine

through every sense and pore.

All surrounding – strength, steadiness, alertness;

this great protruding hip of enduring earth.

A fragment, I move through its peripheries,

through its unquestionable midst…

a flawed splinter of purpose.

And yet, and yet…

here, I am fearless…here I forget…

that the world always (always) seems

bigger, stronger, louder, crueler…

here, I forget the shouts and anger that strips away

convictions, small and large, until I doubt…

Here, I am fearless; here, I don’t hide…

My face mirrors light.

Be strong. Be steady. Be alert. In body, mind, and spirit.

Hold on to that mountain.

— C.Birde, 10/10

Nature writing

Bluster — An Image

Regardless of direction,

of source,

or intention,

the bluster

effects

us

.

all.

— C.Birde, 10/18

Moon Song — A Poem

Horsetail bamboo.png — “Horsetail Bamboo” — C.Birde, 10/18

Sing —

singly,

in union;

Tooth-edged wings

scraping,

bending,

bowing

in praise —

each night —

of the moon’s

ever-

shifting

aspect.

— C.Birde, 10/18

animals Autumn Nature writing

Shelter — An Image

Together

we sheltered

within the great cap’s

shadow,

leaned against

the smooth

columnar trunk —

shoulder-to-

shoulder,

wing-blade to

wing.

We collected

the drift

of fallen spores

and made

magic.

— C.Birde, 10/18

dreams Nature writing

Found, Never Lost — A Poem

Self Portrait, shadow and pink granite.jpg — “Self Portrait, Shadow & Pink Granite” — C.Birde, 10/18

Dark uncoiling

of slim

ring-necked snake

Shadow

of peregrine cast

in a rush

over blushing

stone

Porcupine quills,

strewn

like toothpicks,

like pick-up sticks

Wild turkeys,

rusticating

Poised

in autumnal air,

a Kingfisher –

hovering,

diving

into wind-ruffled

water

Yellow witch’s

butter

Bright scarlet curve

of salamander

tucked amidst

leaf-fall

The red squirrels’

constant scolding

Myself,

returned,

renewed,

restored.

— C.Birde, 10/18

animals Autumn Nature

Last Day of Summer — An Image

Screenshot_2018-09-21-10-32-31~2.png — “Joe Pye Weed” — C.Birde, 9/18

He wore the light

of the last day

of Summer

— in his hair —

like a

crown

ablaze.

— C.Birde, 9/18

flowers Light Nature writing

Constant — A Poem

Change

if you must

exchange your

limits —

imposed,

self-fashioned —

for broader

space.

Ivy embraces

the picket fence

and moss creeps

over stone.

Slow patter of rain

carves its own

sweet route.

Change

if you must,

if you wish.

But never forget —

small as I am —

that I have always

loved you.

— C.Birde, 9/18

Nature writing

Elusion — A Poem

Screenshot_2018-09-12-10-06-40~2.png — “Elusion” — C.Birde, 9/19

Sleep,

interrupted —

conducive

neither to rest

nor dreams.

Ache of hips and

— roll over —

shoulders

— back —

Eyes tight-squeezed.

Tongue pressed

to teeth

in a jaw ill-

fit.

Beyond

the blanket’s heap,

time’s passage,

marked in increments

blue and ghostly.

Words and worries

and…song

— unbidden —

crowd

in looping chorus

— repeat —

— repeat —

Until sleep becomes

the dream.

— C.Birde, 9/19

writing

Schism — A Poem

Little Hawk Feather.png — “Little Hawk” — C.Birde, 9/18

Two weeks ago, three weeks early, he said goodbye.

A day after the incident –

Pale streak of feathers with talons, outstretched and efficient

Tangle of cries and silence caught within deer netting and ripening tomatoes

The scene unfolding beyond the bay windows, as, unwilling, I observed and thought (disjointedly) of Casablanca, the words re-working in my head

“Of all the birds, in all the yards, in all the world – the hawk has taken mine”

As I thought (unkindly), while running from the house in futile effort, of the multitude of House Sparrows whose numbers could bear thinning, my cries of negation to stop, avert, reverse the course of events and pluck those yellow claws from that small gray breast and separate the two – Little hawk (Sharp Shinned? Coopers? he will not tell me) from Gray Catbird – to unwind time and heal the wound…

Above me, despite me, beyond my reach and will and pleas, Little hawk wheeled away with his prize – young parent to this year’s only fledgling.

The burning bush, previously a-shiver with activity, is still.

The pergola, with its unrestrained clematis vines, remains empty.

The container of raisins sits on the counter, untouched, unshared.

Two weeks ago, three weeks early, he said goodbye —

my small avian friend of untold years —

A day after the incident.

Next year, next spring — so far off —

will reveal if he’ll return

again.

— C.Birde, 9/18

birds Nature writing

August Song — A Poem

Song of August…

Summer’s slow

u n s p o o l i n g –

florid and

debauched –

sung in yawns

and thunder…

Staked or trellised,

the vines

untwine and

t

u

m

b

l

e

past

their margins.

The long exhale

arrives –

measured in

the static drone

of insects.

— C.Birde, 8/18

Nature writing