The Night of the Salmon-Go-Up-River Full Moon

A full moon blesses this cooling-off
July night, the farm, the black currants,
the tin-roof barn, the Old Spot pigs.

You and I snuggle under a comforter
as the willow sways in eddied wind.
Bone-white light stretches long javelins

of moonshine from the ten-window door,
ladders of light we don’t choose to climb
this time, a silver hopscotch on the oak floor.

Brighter than street light by my measure.
I could walk to the barn, swing
in the Nicaraguan hammock. By moon.

Your breathing deepens, a whuffing
under flutter wind. The white dog
barked at a hawk earlier; now he curls

in gold grass. Wads of his fur that I brushed out
this morning mix with the wild yarrow
and cling to fence wire, fluff ghosts.

Mt. Adams’ south rib glacier gleams.
I am alive to unwavering moonlight,
warmed up in a soft bed

seeing the world
as a negative image, both black
and white night,

foreshadow of memory.

 

This poem also appears in Knoll’s collection Broadfork Farm available from The Poetry Box.  The collection features poetry about pigs, dogs, starry nights, predators and farmers on this small organic farm in Trout Lake, Washington. Knoll is a regular farmsitter on the property.

 

About the Poet:  Tricia Knoll is an Oregon poet.  She is a frequent farmsitter at a small organic farm in Trout Lake, Washington. Broadfork Farm, her collected poems from the farm, came out in July 2017. Her work appears in many journals and anthologies as well as two other collections. Website: triciaknoll.com

 

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