Zanhar, the Arabian by Jana Kalina

Zanhar, the Arabian
by
Jana Kalina

Zanhar, the Arabian,
out of place

on this wild, wet, West Coast

cavorts about. Strides up and over

moss-masked boulders. Brushes past

tickling ferns. Droopy cedars stand, soaked

under shawls

of moody mists, as we slip by

unnoticed. Fungal smells released

from among fallen giants

sprouting huckleberry bushes, declare life

decomposing.

How the flesh knows it. And stillness

hovers. I scan with feline eyes

cliff outcrops where cougars sink silent paws

into saturated moss, drop

to the belly

and wait. Black bears plod along elsewhere

and camouflaged, black-tailed deer forage

— ears twitching, tails flickering —

time enough to escape, but

they do not

bound away. Slicing through

overhead branches with precision, owl

disappears

into mysterious dimensions.

And Zanhar, ever the ambassador, negotiates

our way back

to his barn. Returns me

to my world

of bricks and mortar

and traffic

Jana Kalina lives with her husband on Vancouver Island. During her lifetime, she has lived extensively on three of the planet's seven continents and, today, her pursuits can be distilled down to three things: Buddhism, bonsai cultivation and, of course, poetry--especially haiku.

transitions:
~ and isn't he gorgeous...as is this poem ~ thanks, Judy
Posted 11/18/2012 03:53 PM

rcstewart3:
Wonderful use of image-thick words, like "shawls of moody mists." I can feel like I am there, too, not in suburban Chicago. Ah.
Posted 11/18/2012 03:46 PM

marenomitchell:
What a trip in words! Beautifully done.
Posted 11/18/2012 12:18 PM

mimi:
ooohhh, what a sensual, beautiful poem--love it!
Posted 11/18/2012 10:58 AM

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