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Open Poetry #7
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untitled, to malibu
| Open Poetry #7 |
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untitled, to malibu |
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bsquirrel
since 2000-01-03
Posts 7855
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I drove to Malibu, the rocky mud-packed sandstrewn plantworn hills Pressing right against the road. A small whitegray steel spine Protecting me from a drop off down the canyons. The ground was so dark in the summer light late, I'm sure if I exploded, the heat Would have made the ground lighter in color, somehow. It was like driving through chalk brown mountains, Only not of chalk, not really of sand, not of stone. Some element of itself, just rising from the road, And later on, coming close to the sea, As close as the PCH would let it. As I went down the highway, Suddenly caught in glinting rows of evening traffic, I noticed there was a protective burning going on, Up the hill. So the sea breeze and the dryhot air Wouldn't fuel the palms, grass, houses Into final burning. The smoke was dark And rolling thickly -- like hills in the sky. I could only see a piece of the hill, the tip of it still green, Quickly burning itself to ash and mud -- From beauty to safety. The fire the briefest glance. |
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Janet Marie Member Laureate
since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554 |
excellent imagery bsq, i felt like i was in the car with you (i changed the station on the radio even)  cool poem... i see these images on tv news, and its so hard to grasp when they tell you a whole subdivision of houses were lost or 1000's of acres. reminders there will always be things man cant control. too deep for me this late at nite later-squirel-gator bs/jm [This message has been edited by Janet Marie (edited 06-09-2000).] |
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bsquirrel
since 2000-01-03
Posts 7855 |
B.S., Glad you enjoyed. Actually, this is a protective burning, where they intentionally burn away hillsides before the brushfire season starts. I think "from beauty to safety" pretty much sums it up. Mike |
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