Pholoa

.

Slender

......hair grass
...............the open hills
by the saltwater..............
the slumping
bluffs .........are given a smile
a moment .......lifting
from the ground
a lightness
.................soft
.................breeze
...................................touching ears
........throat
................any exposed skin

.................................... ......we are

......................................vulnerable

to joy

.

What Pahn Needs

…Pahn remembers walking

on an unpaved road

it is cut along a south-facing slope in

an open woodland

of leafless oaks and un-kept

meadows

 and there

where he has spoken to Yaohwa

by the trailer     two

new women

have been introduced    

 their faces

morphing

evolving from composite to composite

Ehvair/Ahpadeyva

Ehvair/Pholoa…

                                                        …They have walked into

the trailer of white

and simple modernity

backing into the corner of the bed

            she finds his embrace

                                    and leans toward his face

           

and Ahpadeyva transmigrates away

                        becoming

a clear visage

                        above and to the left

                        and disappears as

he closes his eyes

 feels Ehvair/Pholoa’s thin lips…

…they are walking

                        along the darkening road

                                                    from the tree-bark like cold coals…

…they come into

the trailer of white where she

entreats his sexual affection

pulling off her shirt

putting her hand on his face

he closes his eyes

(remembers Djuturna’s love against his cheek)

finds her thin lips and crosses his

                        against them pushing apart

the

smooth
revolute    inclusions                                                        

                  as his face passes                                    

into hers…      

…Pholoa

stable and full now

sits behind a desk outdoors

in her thin trousers

and red sweater smiling

her wide and open smile

and wonders what Pahn needs

as he approaches…

                       

Egairia Seen in a Store (on the way to Minnesota)

.

Pahn has been in a town near the coast…

…He has left that town and gone into a convenience store

In an open area
across .............................

.............................the aisle

Pahn sees Egairia ........looking
.................at an item in ...plastic bags .......hanging
.................................from the wall ...She
notices Pahn
and begins to talk about her selection.............................
in a friendly
self-deprecating
manner

.........................laughing lightly

smiling

Her body dissolves partly
..................into Pholoa ..as she rummages
...............................cheerfully
...........................................through her shopping bag

and dissolves back
.......................into a solid Egairia
as she turns to leave…

…Pahn
......................goes to the checkout queue
and having made.................
his purchase..........................................
sits ....................................................................
on the floor...........................................................
of the store.............................................
with his juices
and waters
and asks himself......................................
if people might wonder.................
why he always...............
buys so many liquids…

…He is in Minnesota surprised
that the forest trees
are small
and broadleaved ................................He remembers
suddenly
that he is not so far ...........from
where his grandmother lived
on the Rum River
and suggests to Aiks
that they should see it .....while
........................................................they are there

He searches his maps
looking for

Princeton.................................

...........................or Cambridge

but is unable
........to locate them

These maps are inadequate
.

Of Granite Lakes

…Pahn has been wondering

if when walking

in the snow at night

one can see the way

 by the reflected light

as he puts this question into words

he

glides

into     

a winter       

thicket     of     conifers      

following

a trail

   in the dark

the snow

   glowing

 faintly

 beneath him

The trail leads to a road

  He                            

          plods                           

past a parking lot

  and small                     

                         building

all covered by an even fresh-fallen layer           all glowing

a dim blue-grey

slowly

 lightening

He leaves the road by an empty lodge

crossing into a rocky landscape       where

he hears the voices of a couple just awakening

  

His mind wanders onto a map         where

he sees he is

 in a high       hanging valley           

and he hears the name of a river and meadows  

In his next view

he is looking down

on the valley    deeply gouged

and scraped down to the grey granite by ice

and to the north-east a slope rises to fluted cliffs 

thousands of feet high 

On the ground he crosses

a small rise in the trail             to where he has

a closer view up the valley        that holds  a long

wide pool in a hollow…

…He has gone to the concession and returned with Aiks

He leaves Aiks

following

Pholoa

or someone like her

                  who wanders

over the ascending

granite

             shelves

             toward the cliff

and near the highest

 shelf            

he sees that the slope levels out   

and he wonders if there is

a lake

at the foot of the chute                     

though he hasn’t seen it on the map

Then Aiks comes to lead him back              

encouraging him to think

that there is a lake

and turning away

from Pholoa’s path

he looks back out across the valley

and sees

far below and away                                                  

the shimmer of water                                        

but turning back again

toward the cliff

he has come upon a large and cold

grey-green-blue

lake that brims      

                                                    to the edge of the shelf

Pholoa

A nymph of joy.


Pholoa
What Pahn Needs
Egairia Seen in a Store (on the way to Minnesota)
Of Granite Lakes
.