San Gabriel Valley Poetry Quarterly

JAN SEE KING
Ever Alive 

Jasper sun on water

       on

patience

         an

      Earth laurel

              avidly

      fragrant

              follows—

      sapphire

                eyes

        beguiling

                  depth.

                    It, cerulean,

                   renews

            morning lelahel

                          keeps

                          river

                             nuances

                               gold.

 When overcome morning

like down rolls clouds

over what it must no

longer see—fire in

California trees, rods

that bow washed fishes

slung writhing with wrath.

When power reasons that

son evermore is alive

and patient, it ) wine

from a vineyard, star

from a temple watch,

seed begun from the burnt

forest ( edges into spent

rule a seduction rivers

know—thunder over rock

lifting lambs’ wool, rolling

testimonies to the naked

edges listening.  Day and

night song in tongues—

barley burbling droplet brides

who may marry the dead

and carry them river alive.