BASKETS OF GRASS

Posted on August 27, 2015 by | 5 Comments

 

All the snakes in our mind
rise like cobras
from baskets of grass, or

flat heads parting dry stems
moving towards us.
Even the Yokuts tried

to tame them, or at the least
make peace with the dark
agents of the Underground.

 

This entry was posted in Poems 2015 and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

5 responses to “BASKETS OF GRASS”

  1. sustainabilitea | August 27, 2015 at 4:25 am | Reply

    John, that first stanza is so evocative. I have thoughts that rise like that sometimes and it can be very difficult to get them back in the basket or get rid of them.

    janet

    Liked by 1 person

    • John | August 27, 2015 at 4:40 am | Reply

      I’ve been rattlesnake conscious all summer, all my life, and have my own evolution of notions involving snakes, perhaps something more universal than we care to consider.

      Like

  2. Richard | August 27, 2015 at 10:26 am | Reply

    “flat heads parting dry stems” made me think you might be heading towards seed heads.

    Like

  3. Caleb Pennebaker | August 27, 2015 at 4:30 pm | Reply

    Rattlesnakes are living proof that white men can both dance and jump despite what popular culture says about us.

    Liked by 1 person

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