Quid pro mow
by Tim Pilgrim
Optical conclusion — lawn needs
a trim, except the mounds of brown
folded in grass by sheared stalks
of columbine, camas, current, rose.
Near tulips, also sampled,
ripped, nibbled, stripped. A doe,
in tall grass — beside, twin fawns,
asleep, spots still damp. My bad,
sad, push clanky antique,
go slow, give wide berth —
passive-aggressive mow, brief,
discreet. At first blade whirr,
she bolts, wobbly fawns in gangly tow.
Gleeful regret slices me.
___________________
Timothy Pilgrim, emeritus associate professor of journalism at Western Washington University, is the author of “Seduced by metaphor: Timothy Pilgrim collected published poems” (Cairn Shadow Press, 2021). His work can be found at timothypilgrim.org.
The Sounds of Silence, 50 Years On
by Keith M. Moore
Where is here?
The device is common
People talking, no one’s there
A peal of laughter
In an empty room
When is now?
The device is common
Recorded video
Captures eyes and ears
Sunrise is sunset
Time is relative
A heartbeat, clock face, the stars
Once we stopped time
With the written word
In parallel spaces
_____________________
Keith M. Moore is an applied social scientist who specialized in technology transfer for agriculture and natural resource management in developing countries. He retired to Bellingham seven years ago.
______________________
“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” — John F. Kennedy
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Artwork by Hilary Cole
Want to see it continue? Then please, send your poems to us and let the Whatcom Watch share them with our readership! Seriously, we really do want your roughly 25-line poems though length is by no means a deal-breaker; it’s how you use those lines. Featuring or specific to Whatcom County and issues addressed by Whatcom Watch such as government, the environment and media. Send your poems to: poetry@whatcomwatch.org and let’s make magic happen.
Subject matter is unlimited, but poetry featuring or specific to What- com County and issues addressed by Whatcom Watch (government, the environment and media) will likely get first preference.
Please keep it to around 25 lines; otherwise, we might have to edit your work to fit. Don’t make yourself unprintable.
Send poems and your short, two- or three-sentence bios as a word document attachment to poetry@whatcomwatch.org.
The deadline is the first day of the month.
Please understand that acceptance and final appearance of pieces are subject to space constraints and editorial requirements. By submitting, authors give Whatcom Watch permission for one-time publication rights in the paper and electronic editions.
Boris Schleinkofer, poetrywatch editor
