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. A few moments before learning
of her son'i death
sitting on the porch ,
my grandmother in the rocking chair
' my mother and her sisters'
on the steps , v
the darkness comes ;
' and it is thick and -August ...
w ' . . tm ' . "-, .fc
' ' , f, ' " t ''. ',i , .
they watch the moon rise
huge and yellow above -the fields
and grandma says, oh my
s look at that sad picture
in the moon
it looks just like a lady '
with her girls
and they're all together crying
oh, that's a sad picture
, Snow falling
this cold has burst the stars
and snow falls and falls
it is good to stand here
in the snow, my breath rising
the snow falling through
the broken vein-work
of black trees frozen .
in mis fashion, held
and holding the cold
and falling snow
Paternal silhouettes
John Brehm
John Brehm
when I feel an indian summer wind,
yet see the black naked tree
out my Window, I shudder
at winter! approach
at' those
golden wafers layered below that
soon like popcorn seeds will
burst white to cool and hide a warm fired earth-
at that ...'''
squirrel recovering a lost nut
in the shadows of leaves Oh
the winter comes fast here
and slick, never departs
until may-now , any comfort
on a warm breeze does not
account for the deathly
beyond-even
in spring, winter
never quite withdraws its ephemeral
tease to green buds and with
its frosty tongue chides
the naive-oh
the constant regret
of those warm days, the insincere
thought of spring and winter
winter seeping into the slow air
like an ominous vapor fills a complete
space
Patricia Autremai
Jl SSSsN'! ' V.
Photo by Stav Boerner
Untitled '
Never so sweet
has life been on earth
as the world we knew
before our birth. .
A time not our owri
no sense of fear;
like a story in the clouds
that God is near.
Once its life has begun
its spirit is clear.
Be it happy, not sad;
Laughter, not tears.
Shouid God hear this sigh
from man's heart, woman's womb;
"Please give life to this child ...
we let die."
Michael Haley
.
? , Art; X
I A I , ;. -.-"' - . - .':
j, t " - "- ' r ' - - . : '
: ' Mr'" i -. -
" ' "
, . - -
Alexandra's repetition
i spent a year
watching al sit
facing the wall
everynight
raking her 5calp
with her hands.
her yawn squinting
face used to drag
straw-sandaled feet
to the bar
everynight.
she's rude
to the barmaid and
cries in her beer 'til
the.guy on her left
hovers, brushing her
hair and tears with
his hands; their Alsatian
eyes begin to get drunk- '
drunk with longing for
someone to take home.
home again
everynight
she savors each note
on the record,-
she alone after -
bottles of beer, swaggering
harpsicordV
lulls her upstairs where
she trips over shoes
in the hall.
the next day
redfaced
requests I walk much softer
and ray voice be turned '
to a whisper; x
not moving
not speaking -with
her face to the wall
alexandra shaking.
Patricia Autremai
EDITOR? NOTE: Writers who would like to submit fie- N
tion or poetry for publication in Fathom are invited to
bring their work to the Daily Nebraskan office, Room 34, .
Nebraska Union. The deadline for the next issue b March.
12.:.- - j - , ,.f ::"-:
Daily Ntbrmkm photo
friday, march 2 1979
pCj3 8
fathom
