A low ceiling of fog settles
on the wet grass, keeping clear
of the woods and not quite shrouding
the corn and bean fields that crabwalk
across these grounds.
It’s a good fog if you’re a fish—
a meaty species who hovers
near the cloudy pond bottom
in hopes of a sunnier morsel losing
its way—
—near the wooden pier,
which I would have painted
some other gloss than red
if I hadn’t also covered the barn
the color of kissable lips.
I am here, hidden among horses,
triangle ears twitching anxious
at the howl of something, eyes
gazing at the dark of it—
the raspberry and cinnamon of life.
And since there aren’t any stars
or torches or lightning bugs
I look through a break in the fog
to Andromeda, to the sea, to Rachel—
her smile her laugh her sex—
oh lost love, let me taste you.
Barrett Warner is the author of Why Is It So Hard to Kill You? (Somondoco, 2016) and My Friend Ken Harvey (Publishing Genius, 2014). Known as a woodsy type, he frequents the South Edisto River in search of detached cypress ‘feet’ and listening for a tell-tale splash. Visit his website at https://barrettwarner.com/ and follow him on social media https://twitter.com/_BarrettWarner Instagram: @_BarrettWarner