Voice of the Ridge By C.D. Wright

I was devastated to hear of the death yesterday of my favourite poet C.D. Wright. What a loss to world poetry. My favourite poem of hers is not online so I will post it here as a tribute.

Voice of the Ridge

By C.D. Wright

Something about a hazy afternoon−a long drive

          about cedars spearing the sky

Something about a body at a crossing

          about a dog missing a paw

          about buying a freshly dressed hen

Something about the locus of the dead

Something about a strange town on a weekend

          about large white panties on a line

About a table in a family-owned café

          an old morsel on the tines

Something about the owner dragging one foot

Something about wine from a jelly glass

Something about a hazy afternoon−a long drive

          about no purse no stockings

Something about unfolding the map

          about a cemetery that isn’t kept up

          about grasshoppers−their knack for surprise

Something about finding a full set of clothes in the weed

Something about a hazy afternoon−a long drive

          about hills of goldenrod

Something about filling-station attendants

          the one blue hole in the clouds

Something about birds of prey−the locus of the dead

Something about the long drive home−a slow sundowning

           about the din of insects

Something about straight gold hair on a pillow

Something about writing by the kingly light

           in the quick minutes left before lips

           suction a nipple from wrinkled linen