Saturday, August 18, 2007

Four Poem Drafts

Heart's Leap

You are a summer morning,
golden day,
the roses brightly blooming on the way,
a vision for rejoicing,
sunrise-smile,
life and breath renewed upon the final mile,
mercy's fire burning,
warmth of flame,
the heart's upward leaping when it hears the Name.

The River-Wraiths

The river-splendored wraiths,
mist-entrained, walk at midnight moon,
silver on their fingers ring-encrusted
with gem of dream and drowning swoon,
and I, who miswandered, caught by cords,
must follow, and you, who dreamed too deep,
are bound behind with chains of whisper
forged of echoes born of sleep.
Hallowed hill and hollow, moor and field,
mountain high and valley, pass like wind,
and river-wraiths in splendor draw us
down to darkness and to world's end.

Thunderstorm

Lightning cracks the air,
rifting night with fire,
as if God took a pen
and flicked it across the page,
no mark behind but madness
drawn with ink of light;
and above us clouds still rumble
and glower with His grace.

Bell's Silence

A poor man on the roadside
rings a bell to catch the ear,
to draw in pennies.
A rose springs up before him;
he is silent,
lest one bell-disturbed petal
touch the ground.