Artwork: Karen Dennison
Fire road cutting
People say it’s too cold to snow
but when I set off at midday snow was falling
I waited for you so long my love but you did not come
Dark came early
creeping through trees like a visitation of black-cloaked women
so I bivouac’d beside the cut
digging a hollow lining it with branches as you’ve taught me
I know you’d be proud at the way I’ve set my fire
See how it leaps and claps its hands!
See how carefully I’ve placed it away from overladen branches
Now I’m your frugal housewife again
heating snow to make a pot of tea
Northern Lights came early tonight
hesitant at first tiptoeing onto the skyline
soon they’ll be confident enough to dance for both of us
everything will shine green and red and mauve
add diamonds to my cheeks
You haven’t asked how I am Cold is the answer
it sinks into my bones until even marrow congeals
I’ll keep the fire burning tonight
and I won’t falter I know I’m not alone
elk and wolves surround me and I found
blood on the snow signs of a scuffle
prints of frightened snowshoe rabbits
How quiet it is! Nothing between us and the North Pole
except the silent boreal forest
with its guardian angels in coronets of green . . .
I’ve waited for you so long my love but you have not come
First published in Poetry Salzburg
Wow! what an amazing poem – I love how the fire ‘leaps and claps its hands’ – there is such longing in this poem. And the artwork complements it perfectly. Great read – thank you all.
Thank you.
a brilliant work of art the poet shows what happened in ever line of this poem