Quarry Rock

Quarry Rock

Too deep in the blue quarry to turn back,
I measure the water with my breath,
held by the coldness, that rises slowly
upwards, until I am cool enough to face
the total immersion.
There is a young moccasin in a straight line,
holding still and undecided, at my small steps.
Each intruder, very careful of the other.
In the bottomless silence, my feet move
against the soft backbone of water.
The sun, in a dry search, finds only my hair,
floating free for dry heat and tiny weeds.
In the scorch of midday, I have transformed.
I am weightless with the philosophy of cardinals,
and a young moccasin, that has turned back
to his side of the quarry, in a glide of gratitude
in his surroundings.
Back to the promise of the sunlight's glare,
that has scorched his blue rock to perfection.

Reviews

[Ed Hart]

"I am weightless with the philosophy of cardinals"...a line like that could transform another friendly poet into a jealous, and somewhat raving, word-wielding maniac...

[Donald Meikle]

Best place I ever swam, and the deepest. It took forever to surface especially after letting air out!! No snakes though.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

This is a fabulous encounter of man versus nature... a very creative account of the old "David vs Goliath"... you are quite a poetess.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Beautiful! Yes, it's best to watch out for those Cottonmouths and Copperheads around the quarry. I used to fish in an abandoned quarry so this piece was very familiar to me and touched a harmonic chord of pleasure in my mind. Just great!

[James Paulin]

A chilling dip, a chance encounter painted in interpretive images of serenity. Most impressive.

[W.k.kortas]

I concur with the wise and wonderful Emily concerning your ability to turn a phrase, which is simply unmatched; who else would dream of a line like "the philosophy of cardinals"?

[Emily B]

oh, Phibby, the way you turn a line of words . . . gives me chills some days. That you can describe a thing, I didn't think could be described in ways I never imagined. You are a master of words. This one goes right into the favorites.