soothing shadows

Davood Emdadian, Arbored

After another wretched, endless day straining my eyes at a computer screen, I've had enough of the prose of the world (no offense, Merleau!) and long for the soothing shade of a tree. And how good it is at moments like these to be able to rest a little in the friendly shadows of Clark and Emdadian. At last.

the shadow extends the tree
from substance to possibility
where the tree stands, it walks
while the tree talks, it is silent
it is not a part of the tree
it is not apart from the tree
it comes and goes with the sun
and offers shelter from the sun
the tree is focused in its shadow
at each moment it is at rest
though each moment may be its last
at dawn the shadow is released
and at dusk it will again become
closer to the tree than its name


Thomas A. Clark, Sixteen Sonnets (Nailsworth: Moschatel Press, 1981).