I
There was a feel to rare fall days when
Shadowform lay claim to the valley
Drawing it in and holding like a lover
You looked for signs of lone crows flying
For moss scattered like tea leaves in a cup
Fall’s cadence suckled you
Made you strong and wary
II
Sustenance came too late for
Those who ate their fill too soon at
The feast of the innocents
They bloated on dreams
Delirious, they said prayers for moths
Winded but alive
Time the panderer ran with the days and
Holed up like a bandit
You followed mackerel skies to the landing
Flushing quail from brambles long out of flower
At dusk you looked at the skulking sun
III
The innocents clung to each other
Knowing they could never grasp
What you brought home daily from your traps
I coaxed them to heap their plates instead with
The glory of the next world
(There is none in this and
they needed a victory)
To chew but not swallow
Shadowform that once stuck in my throat
Shadowform that is the weight and
Is not the sun
Shadowform that is the sign you long to read
Essential shadowform which
Hungers for the valley
As I and the innocents
And, most of all, you
(A true hero)
Hunger for memories of a future life
copyright 2011 Carol Rosenblum Perry