The Absence of Ravens

Two hours past midnight,
midsummer, and midlife
passes before ponderous blue
eyes; the iris dilates
then refocuses,
life stretched across the lapis
slab of sky, behind the eyelids
backlit by an ever present sun.

(Or is it turquoise?)

One must learn
to read the Labrador tea.

Magenta explosion of fireweed blooms.

Fox becomes man, becomes text,
becomes dragon fly
seducing his reflection
in still waters: crystalline.

The gentle mouth
of a rainbow trout.

Fluorescent rings
encircling the sun and moon.

Golden light around the luminous body.

One must learn to understand
the language of birds.

The absence of ravens;
the absence bears,
the absence of wilderness.

(Mountain, sky, ocean,
heaven,sunshine, rain)

The absence of death
and the absence of life.

Raspberries overipening
on the prickly branch.