Reaving

I whipped the steel cable into position and catch the rope off round it.
An upward pull applied, the coil sine waves up the pole
and is caught with a guy knocker.
Between my feet a galvanized anchor eye
holds chain hoist hook,
my hands hold the cable and straight grip in bond.
Hook the grip with second hoist chain
and jack the handle.
Look up at the sun beams bouncing off the fog bank
falling on the city.
Maelstrom of light, poignancy so intense
atoms of perception separate into distinct entities
then coalesce again to the task at hand.

Road up the Mountain

yellow flowers
dazzling thick
hear a voice of
blue sky
crying out to the sun,
green forest!

hearing louder than sound,
seeing brighter than light.

i go to the center of things
and writing your name there
i am lost from the other
like oblivion hides in infinity.

the sight of your eye
in sun's summer sigh
hides in noon's highest sky.
as wind blows grass to shimmering life
a bird wings blue spirit in empyrean flight.

May, 1972
The road up the mountain
Dawson's farm, Harpers Ferry