walking is heel work
soft ground compressed
soon sets in frost’s grip
unyielding
inhospitable
still heel must lead
and foot follow
back to front
mile on mile
wildflower left or right
sky heavy with late light
yet knee bends dutifully
slow sequence of steps
remembered from door to door
this tree weeps over her fallen dress
tatters and tears mingling together
on cold ground
accustomed to receive them
that tree clutches cones
like pearls
gaudy in excess
piercing train triumph hangs like church bell blasts
over town air
as I step home
Todd Anderson (Stuff of the Rind, Sand and Sail, The Reluctant Prophet) writes the newsletter Mirth to share a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process as well as to offer readers the first fruits of his poetry and reflections. He grew up in the forests of small-town Ontario, contending against nature in all its beauty and harshness. His training as a literary scholar of Latin and English literature inflects his love of poignant turns of phrase, but it is the influence of his family and their myriad adventures together that infuses his story-telling and poetry with its substance and power. Todd lives and writes in Ottawa with his wife and six children. If you are interested in supporting Todd’s work, please follow the links below to donate or buy his books.
