A mini homage to Richard Powers' glorious 2019 novel Overstory, published by Vintage Publishing.
Available to buy from Bookshop.org here. (My Goodreads review).
In angelic feathers folded
under numinous
dark skies
it’s
revealed the blood of Eden
pours from
shining eyes
There are ten degrees of strange
between solemn
Earth and sky
between wary
Raven’s feathers
and his
midnight basking eye
He flies a
path so awkward
tearing at
the night
chasing an
invisible sun
beneath a
scarlet blood moonlight
In ancient
creases of time
in the
unhurried sap of trees
runs a heartwood strong enough to
mitigate
the chaos deforestation leaves
Here tomorrow’s
wisdom whispers
where ‘er the
light will stray
and trees bear
witness to our final days
watch us
sleepwalk hope away
Miraflores falters, flailing
fearful of
the day
bowed by
prophetic visions
and the bells in Santa Fe
‘Love me to death’ she cries
aloud
‘Help, help, for I am doomed!’
‘This
winter of destruction’
‘has undone
me far too soon!’
I’ll wait here in the undertow
sure, it’s
merely a matter of time
before our
spirits fall in nature’s tune
refuse to
tow the faulty line
Hark, I
hear a sound incoming
a voice from the wilderness
that cries
‘Ayo, my Babylon!’
‘I’ve come
to ease your long duress,’
For many moons she’s sung her
songs
patient, blessed
Ocean Tree
hear her
calling us to wake up!
turn and
face the great reveal
The storm
will not outlast her
for as
sure as the wind will blow
she’ll
regenerate the heartwood lands
rising
from the Earth below
She’s been
here longer than all the life
you lived
before it started to
descend
and she’ll
be here till the firmament
is forced
to make amends
This life like dream is ending
oh, creature of mine own
the tree rings are lined with
glitter
bodies turning
into stone
In angel
feathers folded
under numinous
wide sky
it is here
the blood of Eden
will relinquish
her disguise
