RAE DIAMOND

blue now

                          now             but earlier

                  the    mountains   glowed 

the mountains    pink

                pink    the                moon close

              to full    close

             to this    living 

                           rock               in the relative

         distances    of                   its ellipse

                    its    yawning         oval

           its tilted    spiltcircle 

                            whirl             and i a tempo

                rarily    animated       frag

                ment    stepping        oh 

                    oh    over               boulders

   bold or stand    under            sky 

                    no    step               footstep 

          past dead   thorned         branches unhitching

       from fabric   stretch            ahead to the next

                   wet   stone to          the next sea

               kissed   rock slosh

         to the left   twig                tangle 

       to the right   rocks              drop into be

                 yond                         the reaching

                  steps   on stones      in time 

                  onto   sand

          seasoaked                        receding

                                                 receiving foot sin

                             king             sinking at each

                             step              and the old

                   lady    behind         me

            shouting                        arms wa

                   ving    in the air 

                    you                        did it you did

                                                  it and i did 

                     but   there was 

              another                         stretch 

                       of    ocean            against

                   rock    to clamber

                                                   over under 

     the dimming     dome            in

    the darkening     air                and i made a way

       i cannot call     mine            over that

                                                   rockreach too but

               beyond    her               elated

                               eyes 

                  it was    some            act no 

                     one    wit             

                 nessed    a nest of      experiences lost

           that might    some day

         hold an egg    or two         a clutch

             in a roost                       a clasp

             on a boot   and

                               maybe          wings will

           fallow then   follow          wind and arc 

                   above   and away      and ah 

                        ah                        a way

RAE DIAMOND is an artist, educator, and nature advocate. They began self publishing zines as a homeless youth in the '90's, and their poems now appear or are forthcoming in Petrichor, Wild Roof, Pidgeonholes, Litro, Clockhouse, and Sinister Wisdom. Their prose book, The Cantigee Oracle, is published by North Atlantic Books, and their poetry collection, floating bones, will be published by First Matter Press in September 2023.