2 Poems

Oblation
12 Year Old Archer Bags First Buck –

He turns, bemusement in his eyes
At such a sight – so young a hunter
Scarcely half his size – and meets
The arrow’s swift release; its canny
Flight through hair, hide, heart;
Falls to his knees – apt genuflection
At youth’s altar – then, he dies.

Ave

In Portage County, I have seen discarded,
Cast iron bath tubs half-buried in front
Lawns. These instant grottoes have, within,
Statues of the Blessed Virgin, making of her
A kind of Cistern Madonna. Before her, beds
Of blue flowers offer Lady Day bouquets.

In Kewaunee County, too, there are such
Shrines. But, here, the favorite sees to
Be a giant rosary of blue Christmas bulbs
Which, for decades, have graced the houses.
Large wooden crosses pend in perpetual wind
Whispering, ever, its sorrowful mysteries.