| Bind Up My Life A Work in Progress Page 3 |
| The bullfrogs have taken to gossiping Among the marshes and the reeds Discussing marshland politics And the latest marshland deeds Tales of woe, and battles won Fill the air in the sky above Accusations and narrations And pledges of undying love Fine tuned red-winged black bird Counterpoint to the crow�s harsh caw Staccato shriek from a hawk�s fine beak While the silent eagle watches all The big dog stirs and finds the spot To mark the coming of this way A sacrament, a testament The sullen head now prays A prayer of thanks for this bread and wine This simple pilgrim�s feast Of marsh and wood and simple good And this friend of a big black beast |
| Pilgrim�s Feast A lack of sleep Has left the head sullen Dull with throbbing complaint Time to coax a sliver of smile From that dull and sullen face So let�s take your eyes and ears A�feasting To the banquet of the Wood Just me and thee and the big black dog A walk will do us good. The rains have washed and scrubbed her And now all is waxy green The table is set in the soft brown wet And the path has been brushed clean The waterfall confers with mosses As to the merits of honeysuckle bouquets Though the conifers are sure to prefer The more earthy garlic sprays�.. At the inlet stream, two ducklings Through the water, a frantic skim Escape they must from the big black dog But they�ve nothing to fear from him Not he of the goofy dog grin I remind the dog of proper etiquette Of ducks, and of mud, and of getting wet And though it is with deep regret He comes and sits with me Here by this sycamore tree� The first of the tall straight cattails Has gone bushy in the late spring breeze The bean blossoms, all mauve and pale Dangle stylishly from their trees Little white butterflies flutter All breathless and bewildered to see This startling new perspective Of the forest and the tree�. A bumblebee hangs precarious On the edge of a clover dome precipice A dragonfly for us pauses Just briefly from his causes So that we can see the wonder Of his delicate winged filigrees |
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