Californian tugboat captain and poet Travis Stephens smothers readers in the cold grit of resurrection in his “Spring is the Time of Horses”. A poem in memory of Norwegian orchardist, gardener, and poet, “Spring is the Time of Horses” is heavy with the darkness of what has come before, and at the same time this poem is brittle with the messy miracles of rebirth and growth.
Spring is the Time of Horses
for Olav Hauge
Spring is the time of horses
streams run thunder
nibble the pale grasses of past
meadow roofs, a spaghnum
two feet deep, hiding the
sour, lifeless dirt.
The past, resting.
A plow reveals
bits of stone & bone &
vegetable soup.
Let the worms pass it
through their long guts &
call it new earth.
Thrust a seed into it,
invader, dirty in thought &
hopeful in deed.
Travis Stephens
Travis Stephens is a tugboat captain who lives in California. His book of poetry, skeeter bit & still drunk was published by Finishing Line Press. Visit him at: zolothstephenswriters.com