Halle-Bopp

We saw the comet Halle-Bopp stand still
Above the ocean at Ka’anapali Beach,
Not unlike the crow we saw rise one morning
In Boston, a black knight errant holding still
Against the wind, its wings flapping to stay
In place. Others watched, then rode the wind up
Through the sky — one, then three, the ground falling
While the first held still, dipped, then rose to meet them.

We saw Halle-Bopp again in Atlanta
At Stone Mountain, its tail arcing in the night
As stony as the frieze on the mountain’s face,
The infamous past held lifeless until
Lasers called it back and thundering hooves
Like in a page from Faulkner roared inside
The head of a thousand Hightowers then quickly
Died when floodlights shone on the granite wall.

At Ogonquit, I saw black sea birds skate
Across the water’s surface with their wings
Outstretched and necks pushed forward like horses
Gaining speed to rise above the water,
A white spray trailing behind them beneath
The granite cliffs and the slate New England sky.


Originally published in A Matter of Mind, Foothills Publishing, Kanona, NY © 2004.
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