Monday, June 24, 2013

BATH TIME (ON PARTINGTON RIDGE)


Band-tailed pigeons coo smoothly in the west,
Like a mirror, great horned owl hoots to the east –
Dusky ridge role call.
Then coyotes unseen, cut through the gentle, familiar songspell,
A chilling chorus of barks, howls, and snarls rising up from the canyon.
And a lone coyote further out toward the ocean.
Even some pups join in with squeaky songs,
All hidden in fog and steep scrub.
I forgot my towel, so I run naked from the bath to the house
To make sure you don’t miss the ferocious twilight hymn.
You’re already outside listening,
Looking just as wild as the music,
Upright,
Strong.
You ask if I’m scared.
Back in the bath,
Woodpeckers scuffle in the live oak tops.
And a furry black caterpillar inches silently around the tub,
Walks on the rim,
Climbs halfway up the faucet.
I consider picking him up and placing him on the rose bush,
But I don’t know if he likes roses,
Either for eating or living on.
Besides, this trip around the tub might be an important journey in his differently scaled life,
Could be a hero’s quest.
Best just to keep my hands to myself,
Better still to also wish him well.

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