Poems - JP Melville

Coyote Howled In My Night A Memory 2 June 2019 jp melville Coyote howled in my night a memory Now deep forest dark shadows Washed in soft green leaves brush stroke against grey sky in dawn’s soft light Out there air damp Chill shiver Rain drops ping on metal roof A chickadee chirps Somewhere distant geese honk Once a Blue Jay jeers Stillness follows… Woodstove lit Gentle smell of smoke Hot water boiling for coffee Perfect.

Who Called Me Here? Dec 27, 2018 jp I awake abruptly, negative dreams – short circuiting. Open my eyes to tender moonlight Filtering through the cabin’s window panes. I gently slide out from my thick covers And, creaking, climb my way down the ladder My naked toes to the cold wooden floor. Soft static in my ears as I pull on a sweater. A slight swush as I slide my feet into felt lined boots. Come dog, I call, and together we step out Into dry nasal pinching frozen clear brilliant darkness, Fresh crystal snow crunches under my weight. I stop. The dog stops. My skin tingles. Star dust diamonds scattered everywhere all around us and through the arching sky above. Who called me here?

Rain Fog Day Night 2 December 2018 jp Rain             Day Somewhere temperature hovers around zero Rain patters steadily against windows on roof Light grey next to silvery shadow Sepia toned wooden chairs and log walls Edges soft blurred focus The dog licks her claws and chews her pads Water rivulets run down the window panes Steady low deep silence embedded In the photograph around me Stillness I sip my tea The cup’s warmth curling through my fingertips Swirling through my soul. Fog             Night Impenetrable. Flashlight casts cone of light. Very quiet. Thud of heartbeat in my ears. Cold moisture in my nostrils, smell of liquid forest deep in my lungs. My eyes pinch from the wet chill, tearing. I turn off the flashlight. The silence lifts me from my bones. All weight disso...