Seattle Winter Again

forest flavors

damp lights

 

hope

Once a surety

 

Never delights

As when it, for a moment

Is tested

 

beleaguered it might be

Yet, there

Again

 

The distant sight of light on snow

The height of rock

A falling struggle

Two grey-blue blurs

Turn north and pick up speed

A Line of Motorcycles Before the Hearse

We handed the bottle round, as

it crinkled and shimmered in the sun.

Wrinkled, scarred, dented, soft, smooth

were the hands that passed it,

for a moment. All, in black and dress uniforms

shared in a common humanity

And drank deep