Shenandoah Canto
In Woods of God Realization
I Have This One Afternoon
Camus Wake
Apotheosis
Angelus
Keats in Korea
Undiminished Light
Unusual Moment
Fountain of Grieving Water
Landscape With the Fall of Icarus
The Bride Stripped Bear
Bloods
My Sweet Brothers
MY SWEET BROTHERS,
LOST IN THE SMOLDERING FOREST,
ON THE TORN SLOPES OF NUI BA DEN,
IN THE SHADOW UNSEEN
BENEATH THE TWISTED RAILWAY BRIDGE
HEADING NOW TO NOWHERE.
I COULD NOT SEE YOU THEN,
ALONE IN THE ARMS OF DEATH,
WATCHING THE PAST FILE BY
IN STREAMERS FROM YOUR RAGGED BREATH,
YOUR SOFT WISHING BREATH,
TRAILING OUT THE DREGS OF LIFE
AND WANDERING HOMEWARD.
THE MOMENTUM OF YOUR SHORT TIME
CAUGHT FAST AS RAGS IN THE WIRE AND WIND
OF THE VERY LAST TREE LINE.
YOUR BROWN LIMBS, WHITE HANDS AND DESERTED SKULLS
SCATTERED LIKE WILDFLOWERS CUT FOR FOLLY
AND ABANDONED ALONG THE WAY.
IN YOUR FADING DREAMS OF HOME,
A BLACK PHONE RATTLED OUT A GRIMACE
CLUTCHING AT YOUR FATHERS FALLING HAND,
WHILE THE BANSHEE WAIL ROSE HIGH AND LONG
BEFORE THE SUN IN YONKERS,
BEFORE THAT DAWN IN MOBILE,
BEFORE LIGHT FELL ON CHEYENNE,
AS YOU SURRENDERED YOUR BREATH TO THE
SOUL OF A LAND YOU NEVER WOULD FATHOM.
IN TAY NINH, AN LOC AND LANG SEN,
IN ALL THE DAWN LIT HAMLETS,
IN PLACES UNVOICED,
IN VALLEYS OUT OF SIGHT,
IN THE ECLIPSE OF THOUGHT,
IN THE INCESSANT TRACE OF TIME ,
IN THAT WITHERING MOMENT,
FOLDED BENEATH THE HILLS OF YOUR LAST GAZE,
MOTHERS STOPPED THEIR ANCIENT LIFTING
AND TURNED THEIR LONELY FACES
FROM THE SWEET WATERS OF THE VILLAGE WELL
SHUDDERING AT THE VACANT SLATE
OF A RISING CHALK SKY.
MY UNNAMED BROTHERS,
I LEFT YOU IN DARK WATERS
VEINED WITH THE SCARLET
BLOSSOMS OF YOUR SPENT HEARTS.
IN THE DUSTY ALLEYS OF HUE -
ASTRIDE THE PERFUMED RIVER,
FACE DOWN IN BURNING DIESEL,
YOUR ARMS LESS THAN OLD BOARDS-
HALF IN THE STENCH OF CORDITE,
HALF IN THE WINDS OF BARDHO,
CRUMPLED IN THE BROKEN
SHADOW OF THE PAGODA WALL
THE PHOTOGRAPHS IN ROTTING WALLETS,
THE MELTING CLASS RING
THE MOLDY TIN OF RICE,
SPILLING USELESS AND FORGOTTEN.
YOUR CRIES FLUTTERING
AND EXTINGUISHED
IN THE BRILLIANT SKY-
NOT COMING, NOT GOING-
FEARLESS AND DELICATE
AS A BUTTERFLY'S DREAM,
WITH NO DIFFERENCE LEFT
AMONG YOU NOW.
NOT ONE ENEMY REMAINING
IN THE WORDLESS CONSTELLATIONS
OF THE BREATHING NIGHT.
MY BEAUTIFUL BROTHERS -
A JOSEPHS COAT OF AMBER, JET AND IVORY
FEEDING THE TENDER ROOTS OF JADE BAMBOO
I WALK IN YOUR DIM FOOTPRINTS
AMONG THE MOUNDED GRAVES
IN THE SILENCE BEYOND THE SLEEPING RIVER.
IN THE SHATTERED STUMPS
HIGH ON MARBLE MOUNTAIN-
IN THE WRECKAGE LEFT UNTENDED
UNDER THE CLOAK OF TRIPLE CANOPY-
WHILE HISTORY SKIPS , SPINS AND FAILS
TO SIMPLY MARK YOUR TIME AROUND.
NOT ONE NIGHT HAS PASSED
WHEN I HAVE NOT SEARCHED FOR YOU-
IN THE HALLUCINATED ROOMS
OF MY MAZE MAPPED DREAMS
TREADING LIGHTLY IN MY SORROW
ON THE SLEEPING TIGERS TAIL
OF WISHING YOU BACK HOME.
NOW I SEE YOU CLEARLY -
TWO DECADES AND ANOTHER HALF GONE,
YOUR CROOKED BICYCLES ROTTING
ALONG THE NORTHERN TRAIL,
ALL THAT YOU NEVER DID,
EVERY WORD UNDONE,
THE ENDLESS SPACE OF NOT YOU,
THE VACANT JUNGLE BOOT
THE BLACK TREAD SANDAL,
A HOME FOR VOLES AND LICHEN-
THE SHIMMERING PONDS
OF YOUR WIND SOWN HELMETS
CATCHING THE EMERALD DEW
FROM THE MOTHERS HEM
AND SWELLING THE RIVER OF ENDLESS TEARS
POURING FROM HER LOVING CUP.
I SEE YOU AS A PEARL
CLEFT FROM THE MOON
FLOATING IN THESE CIRCLES
OF STILL BRIGHT WATER.
YOU ARE A SPEAR OF LIGHT
AT THE TIP OF EVERY CANDLE
I HAVE SET OUT ON THE WATER
TO MARK OUR PASSAGE HOME.
MY WORTHY BROTHERS
ADRIFT IN THE MIRAGE OF TIME,
A LITANY OF DAWNS BEYOND
THE SEED OF THIS MOMENT,
I STILL WEEP FOR YOUR WAYLAID SMILES.
AND LONG TO SEE YOU WHOLE AGAIN
AND HOME AT LAST
TO THAT TABLE LONG SET.
IN THIS CLEARING OF THE PINES,
TEN THOUSAND SEAS AWAY
FROM OUR WAR OF HUNGRY GHOSTS;
MOVING IN THE SOFT SHELTER
OF MY SIMPLE BREATH,
I WALK IN GENTLE FULLNESS,
PACING THE RHYTHM OF THE STARS.
NO LONGER ASHAMED TO BREATHE
THIS STOLEN AIR,
I FEEL YOUR WARM HAND IN MINE
AND CRADLE THE LOVE BETWEEN US
IN THE LITTLE CHAMBER
OF OUR AWAKENED PALMS.
YOU HAVE GONE TO WHAT I WILL BECOME -
THIS SUN DAPPLED GLADE -
THE WATERS ENDLESS ROCKING -
A MOSSY BREAST OF OAK -
AN ANIMAL WISDOM WHICH PLANS NOTHING -
THE SILENCE IN ALL THINGS,
THE UNSTRUCK MUSIC AT THE WEDDING FEAST OF THE BELL AND THE ECHOING WIND.
I GATHER YOU TO ME ONE BY ONE
FROM THE OLD ABANDONED WAY
INTO THE OPEN FIELDS OF MY HEART
HARMLESS WE CROSS TOGETHER -
TO RENEW THE BLACKENED VILLAGE
TO LEAD THE CHILDREN HOME;
BINDING THE LAUGHTER AND THE TEARS
OF THE SON UNTO THE MOTHER,
AND HEALING THE FEVERED BODY
OF OUR WOUNDED EARTH.
Daniel Reeves 1992