Thursday 14 January 2016

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


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