Poems sometimes surface while on retreat. Most simply rise and then fade away, but a few linger long enough to be written down. Here the first of several from a recent retreat in Colorado

mountain center

Part I

grasses, tall

ready to seed. sage

intermingled

 

the incongruity

of six bright

blue flowers

 

across the path,

yellow columbines–

aliens everywhere

 

Part II

vetali, vetali

life, life!

 

so little water here, so

precious

 

grow spines

so as not to be eaten

 

then explode three

impossible

yellow flowers

 

for each of us

its either bloom

or die

 

© oldbonesnewsnow/J.A. Fink