Columns of Mist
between:
Paul MacNeil
AC Missias
Mark Alan Osterhaus
columns of mist
spiral from the forest -
cool morning air
spiral from the forest -
cool morning air
1 (pwm)
hillside leafing out
she sweeps the cabin steps
she sweeps the cabin steps
2 (acm)
gusts of wind
fanning the winter wheat
a farmer's hand
fanning the winter wheat
a farmer's hand
3 (mao)
ice-rimmed pond stone
the footprint of a ram's horn snail
the footprint of a ram's horn snail
4 (pwm)
his first deer hunt --
from the blind a glimpse
of setting moon
from the blind a glimpse
of setting moon
5 (acm)
monarch migration
dim shadows flit from face to face
dim shadows flit from face to face
6 (mao)
four courthouse clocks
a police siren
joins the noon bells
a police siren
joins the noon bells
7 (pwm)
queuing up for coffee
a flag sags at half-mast
a flag sags at half-mast
8 (mao)
primping for the party --
she says she would love him
at any girth
she says she would love him
at any girth
9 (acm)
crunch of carrots
the girl rebraids his mane
the girl rebraids his mane
10(pwm)
under a safelight ~
she softens the focus
of my black and white image
she softens the focus
of my black and white image
11(mao)
rereading an old letter
only half of what I recalled
only half of what I recalled
12(acm)
the bright fronts
of bunched coconuts -
tropic moon
of bunched coconuts -
tropic moon
13(pwm)
top-heavy tomato vines ~
a cat sprawls belly up
a cat sprawls belly up
14(mao)
Sunday visit --
the slow tapping
of grandpa's cane
the slow tapping
of grandpa's cane
15(acm)
bent tines of a fork
the bus station's all-night pie
the bus station's all-night pie
16(pwm)
fence line
between the iris shoots
pickets of sun
between the iris shoots
pickets of sun
17(mao)
spring duskfall --
alone with the evening star
alone with the evening star
18(acm)
eyes wide
toddlers crowd
the Easter eggs
toddlers crowd
the Easter eggs
19(pwm)
starting a thick novel
the smell of its pages
the smell of its pages
20(acm)
diaper change ~
carefully she mimics
mother's words
carefully she mimics
mother's words
21(mao)
arm in arm
hot-tub murmurs
hot-tub murmurs
22(pwm)
a sip of cider
from the stove --
daylong snowstorm
from the stove --
daylong snowstorm
23(acm)
clouds of frozen breath
another log splits in two
another log splits in two
24(mao)
dinner-speaker drones
beads of sweat slip down
a water glass
beads of sweat slip down
a water glass
25(pwm)
featureless hallway
somewhere a phone rings
somewhere a phone rings
26(acm)
dawn
a dab of brown sugar
swirls into the oatmeal
a dab of brown sugar
swirls into the oatmeal
27(mao)
aiming for a spare
the ball's tight spin
the ball's tight spin
28(pwm)
rising moon --
a few dried grapes
in the arbor
a few dried grapes
in the arbor
29(acm)
early frost
cutting just below the rose
cutting just below the rose
30(mao)
the Pilgrim costumes
cuffed and hemmed -
a papier-mache turkey
cuffed and hemmed -
a papier-mache turkey
31(pwm)
reflecting pool ~
leaning with the concrete statue
leaning with the concrete statue
32(mao)
rusted carriage lamp
the hanging planter
creaks to and fro
the hanging planter
creaks to and fro
33(acm)
an orange throat
the anole dashes away
the anole dashes away
34(pwm)
surfacing
crabapple petals
riding the back of a koi
crabapple petals
riding the back of a koi
35(mao)
a row of seedlings
the spade flips up a quarter
the spade flips up a quarter
36(acm)
Started: 6/4/98
Finished: 12/30/98