Strawberry Full Moon
It’s the lowest it could be,
causes a pink tint—
our atmosphere’s lens-making.
But two nights ago,
and early this morning
the moon I saw
was light golden
champagne
chalcedony.
My mind attaches to things
and people I can’t control.
I feel permeable in a way
that’s more toxic than purifying.
The voices I hear outside
enter my mind when I don’t
want them to. The should’s,
the ought’s, these thoughts.
I read in my horoscope
that I need to take self-care
this time of year
I am as far away from
my favored time as I’ll ever be.
Maybe that’s why
I’m so close to bursting,
deflation soon.
I’m just not feeling June.
This low, this moon
might not even be visible in cities
where buildings obscure the view,
or maybe provide another lens.
Thank God there are still places
where the lens is salt-strewn
dune grass and shore pine.
Thank goodness the air out here
has us see gold.
Another Form of Living
roof is tin
gutters are leaky
landlord said he’d clean the chimney this week,
don’t worry about the dog
the long window killed a Varied thrush two days ago
body now missing
that image of mustard-russet chest feathers
surrounded by charcoal-blue
those still open eyes
glassy, cloudy
desire judged as strange to watch decomposition
the want for bones, feathers
to live in that color
in that color with no need for roof,
gutters, chimney, murderous window
in that color under sky
to live and to die
Pacific View Trail, Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Contemplate the rock
the dew-stained grass
ocean breakers
and highway traffic
the white-cheeked cackling geese
the sun to your east
one side of you warming
as slant shadows cast
the curving path
deer skat
still standing yarrow
Solidago
Oh, you could stay awhile
you could leave a question
to come back to
Two Rivers to carry on
Ari Blatt‘s writing can be found in Cirque, SHARK REEF, and The Corvallis Advocate. She has lived in Depoe Bay, Newport, Neskowin, and Cloverdale, and her work as a Fisheries Biologist has taken just about everywhere between the Nehalem and Umpqua watersheds.
