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Deciduous
by
David Alpaugh


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Re-reading Robert Frost on my 75th birthday


I'm standing in a yellow wood.
Not a brown or crimson leaf anywhere.

I'm standing near a woodpile.

Watching a bright green snake

disappear into the undergrowth.


Listening at dusk, to the music
of phoebe... oven bird... thrush.


A blue butterfly happens by.

A white
spider sitslike a secret
on a heal-all, waiting to catch moths

flying thither in the night.


And me? I'm waiting for stars.

Keeping the universe alone.

No road here, trod or untrod.

No fork in a trail to divide me.


Just standing in a yellow wood.

Waiting for the leaves to decide

what to do next.


This poem first appeared in Exit 13.

Used here with the author's permission.


David Alpaugh was born in New Jersey, but now lives in the San Francisco, California Bay area. His poems and essays have been widely published  in journals and anthologies, including the Dana Gioia-edited California Poetry from the Gold Rush to the Present.  David's most recent book, Seeing the There There, is a collection of 89 poems and images full of humor and surprises. A finalist for Poet Laureate of California, David teaches poetry for the University of California Berkeley Extension and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Learn more about him at www.davidalpaugh.com.

              

 

 

 

Post New Comment:
Dorcas:
Peace attend thee...
Posted 03/26/2016 05:24 PM
barbsteff:
Clever
Posted 03/26/2016 05:03 PM
Jo:
Your poem filled me with peace.
Posted 03/26/2016 04:24 PM
Lori Levy:
Beautiful poem.
Posted 03/26/2016 12:16 PM
transitions:
Loved it ~
Posted 03/26/2016 11:35 AM
carel:
Precious. . .
Posted 03/26/2016 09:57 AM
Jancan:
This is really lovely--engendering a sense of peace in nature. Janice
Posted 03/26/2016 09:46 AM
KevinArnold:
Muted, fun. Had to look up 'heal-all.'
Posted 03/26/2016 08:40 AM
Walcottjm:
loved the line" a white spider sits-like a secret-" Thanks for that.
Posted 03/26/2016 08:09 AM
Jean :D:
What a delightful poem -- & ode to Robert Frost!
Posted 03/26/2016 06:08 AM
jeeger:
This was simply lovely.
Posted 03/26/2016 04:21 AM


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