A place to rest
Aprility
For Siobhan
She pads through the property as morning
pushes the slow creek down through green
places water drowns itself over and over.
Her thirst eased, it is hunger that drives her
now, hunger and a place to rest the heat of
day. A blue globe turns beneath her trod as
she paws her line in concentric geometries
known only to senses she has no name for.
There is no following her, no slowing her
quest to seize what the day would keep from
her but for this padding, this cresting of hunger,
this interminable press of wet and heavy stars.
Joseph Gallo
April 11, 2008
A large female mountain lion was spotted on our 5-acre rancho earlier this week, evidenced by the tracks she left. This poem came from that and my thinking about my daughter who was born twenty-three years ago today. Happy Birthday, Sio!
post-time 3:23 PM
4 Comments:
Very nice, Joseph. I started out picturing a dog, just because I would, until the word padding really caught up with me. Strong sense of mystical place and, for me at least, loneliness. Happy birthday to Siobhan ... Many sunny Aprils to come.
Like the lioness, my daughter is trodding her own journey and can only be steered by the stars that pull her trail where it will lead. I worry for her, want her to be strong and healthy and happy, but she has to find her way as we all do.
We contacted Fish & Game but they will only come out if a predator of this type kills a dog or a human. Then they will hunt, trap, and kill it.
What happened to trapping and relocation? They have one person, ONE person on call for the three counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, & Santa Barbara. Amazing.
Plenty of money to burn rearranging rocks in the occupation of the Middle East, but our wildlife and citizenry are on their own so far as these things go.
Given the magnitude of last year's dunderheaded and disastrous Zaca Fire, it's safe to assume that all the wildlife from that area have had to shift and relocate to places concentrically proximal to the second largest burn area in California history.
Mountain lion populations are up and each cat requires from 10 to 370 square miles of hunting area. That tells me they're being pushed towards populous areas and it's no wonder we have a cat that has now been seen twice setting up residence on our 5-acre property.
Needless to say, we're keeping a watchful and wary eye. ;-)
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Kyle.
Happy new year of life to your beautifully named daughter.
I like the poem very much and think I'll read it over and over just like water drowns itself in order to learn a bit from you about such a nice writing.
Sweet springful (hope so) weekend :)
Ahh, Jonicia! Yes, nice springtime weather here, beautiful and in the 70's with sunshine for all. :-)
Thanks for your kind comment and while it may not be the best poem I ever wrote, it is a bit more than the subtotal of all its parts.
Whatever that means. ;-)
I like when poetry leaves a little space to fit in the reader's own wonder and wander.
Hasta la pasta and see you soon in cybernautica! :-)
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