Monday, November 25, 2019

YOKEL ( 7 ) ~









Moses





No. None. Never have

Black people lived on

This back road Vermont

Where I live. But we have

A new neighbor, a white gal

Long ago graduate from Vassar

Who went to live in Africa and

She has now come home to settle

With her two children.

One is a girl, tiny, with

Lovely bead-braided hair.

She walks the dirt road to fetch

The mail with her older brother

With quick tiny steps. I haven’t

Had a chance to meet her but I

Did come upon her brother coming

The other way, short and stocky

Young teenager and said hello and

Stuck out my hand and introduced

Myself and he did too. Said his

Name was Moses. Had the steady

Eyes and an instantaneous

Reverence to go

Along with it.







Thaw






We went out together

To the river as it floods

And the misting and mud

With lantern light you

Held we listened and

Watched at all that

Winter going away






Chores





Rebuilding an old farm

House roof with steel



Pa wonders how he’ll

Cut around that chimney



Ma says, now is as good

A time as any



To sweep it clean


                            for Janine Pommy Vega









Farm Voice





she didn’t know

we could hear her



bellow like the boys

for her lost family



dog while pushing

the baby in the stroller



so we’ll never see

her the same again






_______________
Bob Arnold
Yokel
Longhouse
2011