—with thanks to
Dickinson and Hubbell
Echoes reverberate among trees.
Heavy air recalls the shouts
of uniformed men. Hills remember
as soldiers sink into the body
of the earth. It depends on who
asks the questions—answers
change in different slants of light.
With time, everything fades
into darkness. We can close our eyes
but the virtue of dawn is a terrible
responsibility that must be borne.
Patience and principle are essential
through the long waiting for truth
to emerge. We must endure, abide,
outlast, persist—and when weary, rest.
Since 2012, Carla Manene Cooke has facilitated writing groups in and from her home in Northampton, MA. Her poetry has appeared in the literary journals Emulate, Meat for Tea, Naugatuck River Review, Persimmon Tree, RavensPerch, Silkworm, Starry Starry Kite, and Wordpeace. She’s a wordsmith, freelance copyeditor, and 2022 Pushcart nominee.