Page 29 - Contrast1971Fall

Emotions hard to express
Throat muscles tense -
Dream of wild flowers and peaches.
A mountain climbs in the distance;
Sun ~rips.behind
Leaving shadows and tears.
A leaf drops in my path
Damp, with its dying blood of morning.
The meadows, with sky and grass and color
Intensify in my mind
But leaves, slick and muddy
Are all that is there.

SHARON L. DEAN

Wild strawberries picked in the valley of the canyon
Let the cold mountain water run through your fingers
But be careful not to clasp tight.
Morning flowers with their crispening morning colors
Appeared - first sun, sky, and oranges.
Turn the corner to find where the stream runs
A meadow among the mountains
Man-neglected and nature-loved.
Wade through grass to lie and make a bed
Roll and tumble, make the dimensions -
But be careful not to squash the cigarettes.
Unnamed meadow and I live as one,
Sharing peace and silence and thoughts.
Mountains, where snow never melts and
Flowers always bloom.

SHARON L. DEAN