The sky was an occasion I would never rise to. I had my doubts. Frost fell back into morning shadows of things. Gateposts and evergreens had two shadows then, One white and twice as cold With half the heart and half again Smaller. Better than expected was good enough. A man could say @3mercy@1 and mean it. There were daughters in whom fathers Would be well pleased, sons Not able to breed, mothers among the living. Fields blew away and blew back in, painless. Everybody died since everybody does, still I have my doubts And they have shadows, double. Used with the permission of Copper Canyon Press, P.O. Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368-0271, www.cc.press.org |