


at six ravens ranch
the towering redwoods sway
gently in the breeze
initial contact
tentative at first but not
unwilling to please
Anderson Valley
bakes in the afternoon sun
just before the fog
and upon the end
glistening and glinting in
the fresh morning light
the road back and forth
through the mountains to the shore
blackberries ripen then burst
sparring not sparing
in the moment deeper still
promises to keep
this time of year you can hear clearly the rushing intent of the stream even though it can’t be seen
it cuts
every second it’s cutting, moving and cutting, zig-zagging, digging deeper as it goes, a perfect perpetuity
rippling cacophony
the sound of it becomes everything, negates everything, is as if unstoppable, its roaring way made
it swirls
instead of faltering, swells into haystacks defying its state, then calmly into eddies and calmly into pools
the canyon
it’s gnawed sits in gentle acceptance, almost embracing, always approaching but never encroaching
waiting to be washed away
not plain to the eye as far as you or I can see
but plainly free to be seen
by eyes keen of the hawk
across the field and up the
tree
perception has levels, we quickly conclude
proudly
and out of thin air
deducing
and upon the virtues of specialization
a tangent is unwittingly
embraced
and so forth into
the complexities
we only think we understand
but really don’t
his body bobs smoothly as the branch
of the tree waivers just so
on a breeze implied
but his gaze is fixed
we agree upon a rodent at first, then address specificity
surmising from the grass
dangling from a talon
a mouse
and that’s when, like a reflex, from the tree he dropped
a flash of wings and
his broad tail fanning
out
there was a moment when we were
both aware of
each other’s gasp &
the breath held as the suspense
played out
then back to the perch in a bound
settling in and smoothing feathers before
with three quick snips
consuming our
confirmation
the very essence
the connection between beings
the barrier and the welcoming touch
there is a rhythm
there is an association
there is a will & there is a way
this is an answer
this changes the questions
this gives as it takes away
a temptation
a tongue tip tap
a taste to be tackled
skin
fat
spice