Wiley Creek

Not much to report for today.  I kept coming back to this poem throughout the day.

A Letter in October

Dawn comes later and later now,
and I, who only a month ago
could sit with coffee every morning
watching the light walk down the hill
to the edge of the pond and place
a doe there, shyly drinking,

then see the light step out upon
the water, sowing reflections
to either side --- a garden
of trees that grew as if by magic ---
now see no more than my face,
mirrored by darkness, pale and odd,

startled by time.  While I slept,
night in its thick winter jacket
bridled the doe with a twist
of wet leaves and led her away,
then brought back its black horse with harness
that creaked like a cricket, and turned

the water garden under.  I woke,
and at the waiting window found
the curtains open to my open face;
beyond me, darkness.  And I,
who only wished to keep looking out,
must now keep looking in.

Copyright 2018 Ted Kooser
Kindest Regards
New and Selected Poems
Page 63


In the back of the book I found "The Chinese character for poetry is made up of two parts:  "word" and "temple." 

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