Life Within

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Three tonne of wood delivered
Warm tightly stacked nest for mice
Bought early at the best price.

And in the wind whipping afternoon
Faded flannel well scuffed shoes
Dirty hair muddyshit stained jeans
I lean forward, as if throwing the heavy
Log splitting metal point. Exploding
Along the path of grain. One into two.

And alien worlds unknown are revealed
To me. Entire worlds in the cooling
Afternoon. Paths of nests and trails
To food bored out burrowed
Secreted in secret silent lives
Passed without sunlight. Insects
Scatter as the axe head splits the wood.

Crackling fireplace throwing light and warmth
Children and dogs huddling the screaming
Popping sound of strange life ceasing.

Night Lights

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I go outside
Into the night.

To doormouse feed my head
And relieve the black dog

Black black sky peppered
Countless twinkling stars

Look into the darkness
The emptiness, I can not
Even see the mountains.

A car, alone, a single car drives
Down the highway, out of the
Small town, heading inland north.

The trees the sided of the road
The fence posts occult the lights
Of the pitching rising car.

The head lights throw a flickering
Shadow pattern onto the bricks
Of our house.

On the next night
I come home late
The sun has set the darkness
Has settled over the wide slow
Ancient old valley. The whips around
My face is stung the teasing
Mist of rain.

On the autumn rain sidewalk
A single red maple leaf
Introduced.

Living in the Regions.

What is a boy,
A noise
Covered with dirt.

Strange animal noises and cries
Come from out the darkness.

In the morning
The strong sun
Makes clear
The trails
Belly crawling
Snails.

Holding hands
Chatting mindless
My son
Goes around the back
Of the house
To check the level
Of the water tank.

I strike the tank
And he listens
For the echos.

Seems low, I say.
I guess you do not
Have to have
A bath today.

This fills him with
Little boy dirt joy.