Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Octets for the Triduum


Sheer Thursday Interstate Ave Octet
(4/13/17)

the katsuras have put on their new green leaves
after winter’s frailties; the camellias

blossom & blossom, opening crimson
hearts behind the metal fence then letting go—

beyond them, a stone fountain, but it’s gone dry
despite this drizzle; between me & the train

clanging north in the path of unburdened clouds,
six dogwoods verging on red inflorescence


                      


Good Friday Multnomah St Octet
(4/14/17)

sky’s crying jag came cold & sharp, shattered, stopped;
sharp as the thorn tree, its green & scarlet shoots

spiraling into points, as sun striking glass
then metal, that inexorable red line train

west, neither slow nor fast just adamant; six
rhododendron blossoms, their petals’ white skin 

beaded with raindrops that turn to diamonds,
if diamonds were more tears than I can count


                      


Black Saturday Octet #1
(Glisan St: 4/15/17)

light falls from all directions & rises back:
each quince blossom’s small Sagrado Corazón,

each dandelion a shaggy halo in
lawn’s tall grass—as if this was all transported

to a meadow at a busy street corner
in heaven where the bus pulls over next to

a blue sign, sighs, a different blue than this
sky looking down on the bus as it pulls up


                      


Black Saturday Octet #2
(Buxton St: 4/15/17)

one crow carrying grief above the maple,
two crows carrying joy to the roof; one crow

flying toward the pear tree, the one with white
flowers—actually those are tears the wind will

wipe away on another afternoon; two
crows on parallel wires above two snowbell

saplings making their green decision while two
paperback maples wait, dark pages turning


                      


Sandy Blvd Easter Octet #1
(4/16/17)

sedge & the yellow-blooming Oregon-grape
move in a ring where wind takes them, but these clouds

being everywhere have no place to go;
white sun sinks in a haze; I think of paper

lanterns swaying scarlet in this morning’s breeze,
the white walk sign, this asphalt painted with lines

& one curved arrow: simultaneous up
& down motion, walking & falling forward


                      


Sandy Blvd Easter Octet #2
(4/16/17)

life has arrived at this moment then the next:
couples enjoying yakisoba & phő

through a restaurant window, all the blossoms
vanished from those three star magnolias, all

the kwanzan blossoms coral pink weight on boughs
five bamboo culms rising in a planter where

the street curves, rose mural climbing a yellow
building: let me go up to the high railing



Jack Hayes
© 2017

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for stopping by & sharing your thoughts. Please do note, however, that this blog no longer accepts anonymous comments. All comments are moderated. Thanks for your patience.