other

 
 
the other
side of the island

a light blanket of snow
covers
the blood where the seven deer
were shot

yesterday

*******
"beware of darkness"
"beware of maya"

*******
at the taos pueblo on new year's day
the turtle dance
in a line
the young boy
the old man
deep beating of the drum
white gourds rising, falling, rattling
feathered heads, bared chests against red clay adobe
and the mountain holding it all

*******
the shaking ground of iran
in iraq "bombs bursting in air"

*******
six nights on a greyhound bus
one learns the power of staying in the
"now"

a handsome drunk sipping something pink
stashed in his coat
keeps saying
"i come with you"
and a big black man stands up and says
"i've lost my teeth"
maryanna medicine woman
gives me a lift to the pueblo

and at the darkest moment
a star larger than life
falls into the horizon
wyoming before dawn
doubt vanishes

to sunlight

the south dakota landscape
no civilization
miles of nothingness

IS

healing
*******

returning to the island
the moon builds toward full
a deep peace
water laps down below my loft window

*******
a friend's tongue burns with the pain of radiation/chemo
sobbing
*******

as i walk i hear gunshots
a hot anger in my belly
the city/state/committee
break their promise
and the shooting of deer
is not posted
on the two bulletin boards
or online

*******
i have not held the space
by lighting candles

*******
my neighbor
my brother
steps outside his plastic-ed shed
he holds a sharp knife
and his hands drip red

back inside
he gags with dry heaves
as he cuts the deer
*******

in the mail
a syrupy sweet article about cliff island
preparing for winter
everyone is 'from away'
and smiling

*******
hah!
*******

my friend morgan
a note posted on his third floor city apartment door:
stop feeding the pigeons at your windowsill!

*******
my oh my
*******

can dean save the country?

*******
LIFE
*******

shaking every one of us
by the shoulders
til our bones loosen
*******

jesus

*******
can you feel it?


 
  copyright © 2001-2006 by Kat Farrin  
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