3.13 (From REAL)

Stephen Ratcliffe

Series of six crow's calls followed by another
six from grey sky of background behind pattern
of tobacco plant leaves, curve of rock on sill
below which a song sparrow continues trilling.
The blond woman feeling a thin silver thread
going into heart, noting that weeping wives
explain themselves to their husbands. Two birds
swerving from left across windshield of the grey
car, driver in black jacket feeling same silver
thread going through heart. Hundreds of frogs
calling back and forth through warm night air
below millions of stars in a pitch black sky,
feeling of well-being in man walking toward
front gate. Inverted triangle of sunlight
slanting down from right into canyon below flat
grey plane, three birds descending toward lower
light green patch on left shoulder of ridge.