Thursday, September 20, 2012

Oestrus



painting by john shannon


Oestrus

In a thatch of sleeping thistles,
standing ankle deep in clover
near the swollen swirl of the stream,
I glanced over at your cabin,

perched there on stilts
with its high porch,
like a tall brown heron
that saluted the mossy sun setting
behind the thick slippery limbs
of the mother of maples.

In the half light I could see
a silver glint off the chromatic curves
of your proud metal chimney,
towering like a stack on a sturdy ship,

blemished by that trickle of creosote
that dripped down teasingly into
the black flaming barrel
of your homemade wood stove.

Standing there quietly in the almost dark
I swear I could smell your sweetness,
granting majesty to the moment
as I marveled at how compatible
we seemed that summer,
side by side in the naked scotch broom.

What a joyous and rare August’s eve
we had shared the night before,
tumbling slow on the heels of humidity,
warm and sticky--with you nearly
invisible in the gathering ink
as I held your voluptuousness tightly,
struggling to see one of your slender fingers
pointing to a Greek goddess
in a clear constellation that seemed
to shine just for us.

In the darkness, pressing your breasts
against my chest, my thoughts reeled
like flirtatious fireworks, absolutely
certain that finally my wandering had ended,
that I no longer needed to spread
loneliness around my shoulders
like a prayer shawl, because
I was not lost, no,

I had found refuge, sanctuary, there
in that wet meadow on the edge
of the national forest, and 
I had found something else
within my self, 
first a hidden door,
then a hidden room 
somewhere in a secret fold of my soul,
where before nothing had ever penetrated,
no phantom footprint,
no phantom breath. 


Glenn Buttkus

September 2012

Posted over on dVerse Poets MTB

Would you like to hear the author read this poem to you?

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Beautifully realized, the title foreshadowing a darkness.

Brian Miller said...

whew....you went pretty deep inside to find that place....and it makes one wonder will you now knowing it open it...and will take keep the next from being one you only gaze a the porch wondering about...interesting take sir...

Dana Dampier said...

An awesome journey into your self and that place this one moment touched. Deep down I sense it changed you forever.

Tashtoo said...

Took my breath away with this one, word weaver...you experience the joy of believing in magic again when you reach that place...recharged and ready to protect that spirit with everything you got! This was awesome!

Anonymous said...

Excellent

Sabio Lantz said...

Loved this line:

"I no longer needed to spread
loneliness around my shoulders
like a prayer shawl"

Anonymous said...

lovely picture and a strong write.

Claudia said...

smiles...i like..the going beyond..opening and in the going discovering more and more...
I had found something else
within my self,
first a hidden door,
then a hidden room
somewhere in a secret fold of my soul...

S.E.Ingraham said...

A wonderful write, and journey - I found myself wondering if your loneliness was finally at an end or just respite? No matter, a fine poem

http://leapinelephants.blogspot.ca/2012/09/alone.html

Kathy Reed said...

Alive and earthy, wonderful expression of finding one'self ...renewal...

Ginny Brannan said...

Serenity found in the sweet shared sanctuary of another. Got caught up in this lovely tale you have woven. Very nicely penned.

Unknown said...

Perfectly painterly piece. You truly showed rather than told.