I need to pasture this plain
but have no water supply,
no aqueous piping to advance the drink
that last river to cross
in the bloodvein of bone-filled alleys
where bibles and knives
lay used and worn
hummingbirds careen in plein air,
flip, then flop,
land in a grove of latticed leaves
their journeys immense
a jigsaw of cracks
beneath my feet
show intricate veins on stones
that map the wandering mountains
a bony little fist of flowers
in a smoke of moon
ignite the petaled sky
whirlwinds tousle my hair,
over the barn weathervanes
spin like pinwheels
brooms lose straw
clouds crash together
in cool combo
the notes of chords
like embryonic drums
beat through the woods
bursts of raindrops
like marbles from a sack
soak undertow roots
the waters of floods
cyclone through the streets
the parched land
comes to an end
Written By: Gloria Keeley
I’m a graduate of San Francisco State University with a BA and MA in Creative Writing. My work has appeared in Spoon River Poetry Review, Slipstream, FORUM and other journals. I graduated from CCSF and I taught at CCSF for 34 years and was the editor of FORUM in 1969.
Art Title: Spring
Artist: Spitblossoms
CCSF student, Bay Area born and Tijuana-raised, Spitblossoms is a visual artist and successful musician who has always found joy and meaning in realizing his artistic visions and sharing with a community of artists. For Spitblossoms, art is a meditation, release, source of pride and sustenance that helps him perfect his vision, overcome hardship, and continue to push forward to achieve his goals and dreams.
Forum Literary Magazine 