Amputated Moon

Dove by Shoshannah White

the whisper of a feather

forms one word

and then another

each floats

down

in spiral and loop

a deep in-breath

plucks them

out of their fall

they are drawn in

catching in my throat

locking each to the other

shall I open my mouth

and release them

into the world

changed and

transformed

into a poem

Pamela Olson, 2/27/09

For  Every Photo Tells a Story

Photograph by Shoshanna White

mid-week dusk

ashes gathered

burnt black soot

words whispered

across the space

between you and I

listen—

dust we are

the imposition of death

upon our brows

two swift strokes

vertical for life

horizontal for death

dust we shall be

Pamela Olson, 2/25/09

For Ash Wednesday

the pearl of morning

lies nestled within a shell

of gray-cloud muscle

minutes and hours

are slowly filtered

until blue skies appear

Pamela Olson, 2/24/09

The empty page is shining

as if the sun were still in the sky

line after line

empty horizons

waiting for the end of day

the shadow of the pen

cuts across the page

heavy with dark words

while the trees outside

whisper and wait for night

the time of watching is here

a space of anticipation

will the words drip

forming a new landscape

just as the night keeps fetching stars

Pamela Olson, 2/22/09

Inspired by the prompt from

One Single Impression

and a line from Poem #224

“The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson”

edited by Thomas H. Johnson

I’m watching Spring name the trees

one by one

cherry, redbud, gingko

they wake to the season

separately

blossoms and leaf buds

branches stretching upward

singular link

between ground and sky

the breeze whispers

the rain calls

maple, willow, sycamore

Wake!

Pamela Olson, 2/17/09

see how the slivered bark

of the river birch curls

shadow and light

forming spirals

entwined and joined

in simple curves

now the eye stops its gaze

caught at the junction

the sharpened edge

where sunlight meets shade

a quiet boundary of dwelling

a spectral space

rest there for a while

quiet your mind

soften your heart

lie within this place

of simple shade and

a brief despair of light

Pamela Olson, 2/15/09

For the prompt, “spectral”

at One Single Impression

scraped

            off

embedded

frozen

carried

            tumbling

slow motion

year after year

            eons

inch by year

suspension slurry

            silt

            gravel

            boulders

building blocks

ready to be stacked

slow melting

            drips and drops

retraction

contraction

retreat

            deposits

old land

in a new place

Pamela Olson, 2/14/09

just one

            quick deep breath

and then

            the sinking

deep

deeper

            becoming the sea

Pamela Olson, 2/8/09

For the prompt “movement”

at One Single Impression

Untitled by Catalin Abagui

She walks into the water

parched, wrung dry

in the desert air

Floating on the surface

breaths of sand

echo in her ears

Rattle of chains that bind

her to you

drift in a current

What if I said to you

she swims to

release herself now

Pamela Olson, reposted 2/3/09

For Every Photo Tells A Story

say the word “lull”

slowly

feel your tongue

surround the vowel

cup it within your mouth

not wanting to let it go

out past your lips

into the space beyond

your mouth loves this word

your tongue wants it to rest

wants it to remain

within you forever

echoing against

your teeth and cheeks

say the word “lull”

and you’ll know what I mean

Pamela Olson, 2/1/09

For One Single Impression