Trientalis borealis
Seven stamens twist
like one-legged strangers
at a station, anxious to avoid
each other’s gaze.
The train hasn’t come,
might never come.
The snow gives off a radiance
like a face at the bottom of a well.
The platform shakes
on its slender stalk. We are
in this together, & the stars
are closer than we think.
OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES
- How to Know the Wildflowers: Preface
- Spring Beauties
- Red Trillium
- Painted Trillium
- Miterwort
- Marsh Marigold
- Goldthread
- Foamflower
- False Solomon’s Seal
- Early Meadow-Rue
- Dutchman’s Breeches
- Appalachian Barren Strawberry
- Wood Anemone
- Wild Geranium
- Mayapple
- Golden Ragwort
- False Hellebore
- Fairy Bells
- Trout Lily
- Hepatica
- Yellow Violet
- Jack-in-the-Pulpit
- Starflower
- Dwarf Ginseng
- Bloodroot
- Cutleaf Toothwort
- American Golden Saxifrage
- Blue Cohosh
- Ambrosia artemisiifolia
Wow. Magnificent, Dave.
Really? Thanks!
I think it’s the best in the series so far. I love the face in the well.
I can’t shake the feeling I’ve used the image before, but a search didn’t turn it up. In any case, I’m reasonably satisfied with this poem and its difference in tone and style from most of the others in the series so far. As with the tool odes, I find the only way I can keep the writing fresh with a thematically unified series is to keep trying new approaches.