“A Poem for a Classmate”  (Abridged)

(She wanted a poem about the pines…)

From the book, In the Valley of Glow Trees, (c) 2012

Kerri Nicole McCaffrey

Deep, deep in the pine stands

after I leave the dirt path,

the pressed-down brown grass

and step past

where the fresh red barn

used to be, but is now just

a time machine—

just beyond the daffodils

blossoming

their brightest yellow blood—

I often plunge

onto the orange carpet

of needles that lay together

and soften the blow to the feet.

Look at the pillars of the cathedral!

The sun comes through like a fresco

breaking into blue and bright—

and somewhere up there like a statue,

the owl—

and even he consumes this sacred silence.

Here, I am often forced to sit

like something ravaged or like prey

slain as if nearly soul.

And if a fox on its fur-bound

silent padded paw came

I would say that would be beatific—

this emerald space draped

in its cool quality

would swallow me—

whole.