Summer into Fall Read online



  Summer into Fall

  Steven Federle

  2011

  Contents

  Reverie 3

  Decline of Day 3

  A Prophecy 4

  Vital 5

  Simon and Garfunkel, 1969 6

  We Sing 7

  Canticle 8

  Lazy 8

  Fountain at San Damiano 9

  Wooden Valley Vintage 10

  Solace 12

  The Old Man’s Lament 13

  Double 14

  Night and Day 14

  Conscience 15

  in the villages round Caesarea Philippi 16

  A Warm Morning 17

  Psalm for 9-11 (Dedicated to Fr. Mychal Judge) 18

  Eye Trouble 19

  The Eye Exam 20

  Aubaude: Your Face 21

  Vision 21

  Diminished Vision 22

  To an Unknown land 22

  Morning

  23

  Summer into Fall

  Reverie

  Your breath

  your voice

  summer soft

  lost in sleep

  I dream

  your whisper

  rushing across

  my bare

  neck

  your breath.

  Decline of Day

  Gentle breeze,

  swaying trees

  leaves

  golden-green.

  Imperfect sphere

  sliding through day’s

  perfect, blue air.

  Ascends the moon

  stark and silver

  much too soon.

  A Prophecy

  The cities of England burn

  with the rage of youth -

  nothing to gain

  and nothing to lose.

  Blitzkrieg incinerates

  shops and schools

  give cover

  as they rush through

  gaping windows.

  “so why not go get your own?

  a penny’s worth, a purse,

  a watch,

  designer jeans

  you know…..

  loot”

  “nearly one million school leavers

  and graduates

  out of work,

  a generation lost

  to worklessness.”

  So sirens wail as batons flail

  like v-bombs launched

  at the nation’s children…

  denied,

  cut-back

  forgotten

  The story of our

  strangled civilization

  written on the back

  of bloodied balance sheets

  until new order prevails

  in the cities of England, France,

  America…

  the few rich

  and the many poor.

  Vital

  close to my heart

  lungs contract

  chest falls

  fighting

  to maintain my

  windy passion

  chest rises

  blood requires

  oxygen's fire

  still alive

  Simon and Garfunkel, 1969

  Their music

  still holds me.

  two voices

  swelling in the night

  driving out the silence

  with the sound

  of sweet life.

  Horror filled our lives then,

  war was all around

  and the very best among us

  all were

  shot down -

  But we never lost hope

  so long as we could hear

  their music ringing clearly

  as the darkness gathered near.

  We Sing

  Over bright fields

  we fly.

  Thin slips

  of consciousness,

  bounded by darkness,

  we rise

  on our song’s

  golden glow

  not knowing

  how descends

  the growing edge

  of nothing.

  Canticle

  In the murmur of darkened trees,

  I hear your voice,

  I want to sing,

  but grating words cannot contain

  gusty night-wind’s

  solemn praise.

  In the hush of trembling leaf

  hosannas rise, rush

  home to Thee.

  Lazy

  Sweet summer breeze

  heavy ripe vines

  wine pouring,

  time slowly

  seaward

  flowing.

  I write

  like there's

  nothing left

  in my half-

  empty glass

  but now the wine's gone....

  day's too warm

  and much too

  long.

  Fountain at San Damiano

  Splashing like diamonds

  water fills the bowl

  spills to cool shallows

  to darting larvae,

  fetal tadpole.

  A river falls

  drawing grace

   to darker pools

  where pensive koi

  deep waters

  peruse.

  Wooden Valley Vintage

  swollen grapes

  extracted flames

  sweet blood shed

  fruit entombed

  stacked casks

  fragrant gloom.

  nightfall

  grey limbs twisting

  through emerald shade

  reaching at last,

  clear blue day!

  fern overflowing,

  with living lace

  red rose embracing

  impassioned grace.

  the sun’s final flames

  high leaves emblaze,

  soft night claims

  fast fading day.

  Solace

  Tears,

  dark fears

  like wind-

  lashed leaves,

  like faithful doves

  who softly grieve ,

  you cry.

  Though I don’t

  understand

  why life fills you

  with such fright,

  please believe

  that I’ll always be there

  to help you get

  through your darkest

  night.

  The Old Man’s Lament

  Child-sun blazes

  through grey morning fog

  his passion overpowers

  night’s sluggish slog

  ‘till bright noon’s afire

  with his effervescent  love,

  but it’s all the same, it’s

  all the same.

  Morning, noon, and night

  may embrace our little lives,

  but it’s always the same.

  The ancient moon rises

  in the fast-fading east.

  Bloody sun dies, failed day retreats,

  but it’s all the same, it’s all

  the same.

  Morning, noon, and night

  may consume our little lives

  but it’s always the same, all

  the same.

  Double

  Crouching, dangerous.

  waving the bat

  over his glinting helmet,  

  he waits,

  scanning the field

  for any weakness,

  any hole

  to fill

  with his power.

  When the coiled arm pulls back

  and releases blinding fire

  down the narrow lane,


  he swings.

  The high arc,

  bright spot in the dark,

  decays and strikes

  just within

  right field’s highest

  limit.

  Resting at last,

  poised, hands on hips

  he surveys the game

  from a whole, new

  point-of-

  view.

  Night and Day

  Day and night the west

  winds rise to the golden

  edge, the threshold of sight.

  I rise and fall and begin again

  ‘til at last I decline

  into darkness of same.

  Hot summer draws out spare

  winter’s chill; my days flow

  over, my life over-fills

  ‘til will forsaken, naked and

  chaste,  at last I gaze

  on your pure, living face.

  Conscience

  Deep in the dark

  of the wind-thrashed tree

  a rasping voice calls to me,

  demanding I see

  what I cannot see.

  The tree's dark core

  deep shade obscures,

  and try as I might,

  I'm blinded by night

  descending.

  Yet still it calls, insistent and

  shrill, when sudden silence

  my aching heart fills

  with cold

  apprehension.

  Oh Lord, whom have I

  offended?

  in the villages round Caesarea Philippi

  Oh, we are

  a faithless generation!

  I saw the lying spirits

  ensnare my son

  and throw him into the mud, fouling

  his boy's mind with fetid waters,

  unleashing to fiery panic

  his gibbering tongue,

  but everyone shrugged and said,

  "nothing can be done."

  A faithless man, I prayed for faith

  and He entered the fray,

  commanding to silence

  Satan's dubious claims,

  with His mighty prayer

  sending hell-ward howling

  all our false and golden

  gods,

  and gave me back

  my son!

  A Warm Morning

  Morning hush

  Heat builds,

  leaves glitter.

  Into pure silver

  dissolves the shade.

  Birds call

  winging it

  to high, dark places,

  any eve

  where tattered night

  may hide

  seeking retreat

  from day's clear,

  searing eye.

  Psalm for 9-11 (Dedicated to Fr. Mychal Judge)

  I hear your soft voice

  In the hushed evening breeze

  as gentle wind fills

  these tall, murmuring trees.

  For you're never too far;

  your soft breath I can feel.

  My soul stirs with faith

  that no anger can steal.

  Through the cold, empty night

  you fill my dark soul.

  Your brilliant light breaks

  death's ancient, harsh hold.

  In the morning I'll hear

  your clear voice proclaim

  my life you've restored,

  bitter tears wiped away.

  Eye Trouble

  Close by,

  flashes

  fill the night

  of my peripheral vision,

  what's nearly there

  just above my shoulder,

  over my straining

  brow.

  I can see in a blink

  the paparazzi

  ducking into dark alleys

  patiently waiting for me to emerge

  smiling into innocent lamplight

  to trap me, like Princess Di,

  with their

  flash.

  The Eye Exam

  I Struggle.

  The white dropper

  looms like a bird's beak

  a little too close

  to my blinking eyes,

  but finally the drops splash

  over my eyelashes

  my nose and cheeks.

  First a sting

  and then I feel

  nothing.

  Soon the quiet room

  becomes immense and bright.

  I gaze in wonder

  as my hands grow

  transparent,

  throbbing veins turn to

  blue rivers

  coursing through pale ravines

  of webbed bone.

  Vision grows deep

  with dilation.

  The doctor peers

  looking past the

  murky vitreous,

  right down to

  my optic nerve,

  and I wonder what she sees.

  A small hole in my retina,

  just to the left

  yes! that's where

  lightning flashed before,

  where

  now lies blindness…

  my own circle

  of night.

  Aubaude: Your Face

  Starry lace wraps

  your sleeping face.

  With passion

  I watch over you

  like the moon

  drifting

  to secret

  rendezvous,

  to the importunate sun,

  who, with ardent speed,

  rises in-

  to the fiery

  east!

  Vision

  In the raw air of crystal dawn

  the sun devours waning night

  with dragon-song,

  and rises to cerulean heights

  to the vaulting domes

  of eternal sight.

  Diminished Vision

  Dark lines dance

  on the edge

  of distortion,

  Slight things

  not really there

  dart just beyond

  my searching

  stare

  when suddenly,

  sidelong glancing,

  I'm filled with

  fear.

  To an Unknown land

  To an unknown land

  o’re the distant sea

  crowding me in, it

  carries me.

  Through night and day

  I'm rushed along.

  I want to stay though

  I can't stay long.

  Compelled to go,

  I linger with you;

  Though I want to remain,

  harsh time whispers, "no."

  Morning

  when the sky is still black

  and stars glitter

  like there's no

  tomorrow,

  the overblown moon

  luxuriant

  above seaborne fog...

  this is the time

  of faith

  when birds,

  startled by dawn's

  first spark,

  raise sharp beaks

  and sing

  the first song of

  morning.