Monday, March 11, 2019

HEAVEN LAKE ( 24 ) ~










My Doctor






Is Chinese—

Left China with his wife and young

Daughter while leaving a son behind



Arrived in America and worked as a janitor



Now resides on a second floor of a building across

From the town hospital with its plush parking lot



My doctor practices his calligraphy between patients

Naps on the same mattress his patients use



After a two year absence I came for a visit

I met a hooded worker brushing fallen

Snow from a walkway with precise strokes



Peering into the hood I surprised my

Doctor who nodded with a smile

Patting my chest and taking up his broom




He followed me inside






Message





Owl calling out

Of nowhere at dusk

Was as good as spoken






Tracker







I’m telling you — 



While you all think

You may know me



My cat’s been

Studying me



For all I’m

Worth



From a

Window






Companion







Ah, if my axe could talk

It would be something!



It’s been everywhere with me

For over 45 years at a life in the woods



But get serious, it’s an axe, it’s

Sharp and quiet, and some



Might say

That’s what I should be





Find Me






Today we hiked in the forest where both the 

geese of the lake and the train can be heard

the geese are just past the trees

the train is faraway but its whistle is close

we stop on our path when the whistle comes to us

we look at one another, say little, we have been on many trains

where we go today is where all winter was a tundra of ice

she remembers sitting down to slide many times on an incline

I remember we forgot our walking sticks so we made a pair

the forest has everything

geese, train whistles, ice, and then no ice at all

it is spring and we go to search and find

one small puddle of ice

withdrawn into the

shade of the forest




_____________________


Bob Arnold
Heaven Lake

Longhouse 2018