By happenstance,
I am here
beneath this forever sky
that stretches
beyond memory
candy pink haze
vanilla and blue hues
of light until dusk
a yellow cottage
sits at the gate
of this quaint hamlet
purchased from
the quiet dairy farmer
who tends to the lengths
of land and hay
happenstance
has plucked me,
from the bustle
of New York
and dropped me here
at the Northern most
reaches of the Earth
closer to the Mongols
than ever before
We drive to the market
foraging for food
amongst the foreign
letters and staples --
sandwich cakes topped
with seafood are a sight
to behold
English is a visitor
that comes and goes
We pay for bags
and jump into the
rented Volvo that
runs for miles upon miles
on diesel
travel over
smooth, perfect
highway roads
guarded by
camera traffic
"eyes"
pines line the way
abound like skyscrapers
in a huge city
they fall away
to expose an expanse
of farmland
the sky
looming large, vast
and limitless
in winter
these roads are
refuges from the
swaths of snow drifts
that engulf feet and legs
with a crunch
in spring
these wildflower
lined paths take you
through emerald
and gold seas
straight to the
gate of
Oz.
By Mary E. Lohan
