Alien

The winter trees replied
when the wind questioned them
but no words I understood nor
did they speak to me.
The barn humped its back
against the low sun and
threw a shadow across my path.
Melting snow trickled past
a manure pile, stained
the edge of drifts and a rat
busy in corn spilled from
the broken side of a crib
made the solitude bearable
as if to say the lesson learned
from hard facts should teach me
the consolation of hunger.

    Original Citation

    Harper's Bazaar (June 1970) 36.

    Word Count
    83
    Original Publication
    Date Published
    1970
    Complete Poems
    363
    Re-publication
    Voyages to the Inland Sea II 44.
    Theme(s)
    First Line
    The winter trees replied
    Poetic Form
    open