Elemental – Page 30

dark, ominous skies
grey terns perched on a buoy
turned to face the wind
–
roiling water
gulls soar effortlessly
above the rocky shoals

bone tired, weary
driven forward all the while
dragging this baggage
–
shimmering heat
an old prospector
pulls at his burro

lingering on a
sea of empty promises
wet with resentment
–
dripping-
an eagle’s
empty talons

the last vestige
of the sinking evening sun
sets the sky alight
–
painted hillsides
a winding road turns
though burning leaves

ice over fresh snow
the delicate crust holds me
momentarily
–
warm green grass
a raindrop rolls
down my cheek

an icy black rain
the autumn harvest freezes
while still in the field
–
a desert night
cold hard water
feeds the fire

the low morning sun
behind a red crepe myrtle
it’s branches aflame
–
fresh snow
blowing alight the coals
of last nights fire

alone on the sea
caught in a tempest’s fury
far from her home port
–
an unfamiliar bed
the southern cross
in the night sky

well seasoned hardwood
crackles and hisses as it
slowly turns to ash
–
rolling seas
a cigarette cupped
against the wind

a slice of the night
carved out of a starless sky
gleaming, motionless
–
chaff in the wind
burnished brass
low on the horizon