Laura Weldon
The Peace of Cows I forget to be wholenesson this cold afternoon.Mired in tight circlesscribed by our species’ crusadeto greed-eat the planet, I feel despair’s thickvines root in my gut, climb into my throat.I remind my bodyto relax into gratitudebut that door stays shutso I open another walk out backwhere winter pastures entice our cows.They stand complete in themselves,stoked by inner furnaces, thick with calm.I lie close to them on frosted grass,face skies layered as skeins of gray wool.The peace of cows holds melike gravity, settles in my cells,while something in me lifts,trembles into light. Stacking Stones Blades shriek when mowing overwhat looks like a stone foreheademerging from our lawn.Crowbar and shovel pry itfrom land it rode like waves.Wheelbarrow delivers itto where I wait, eager to start another stack. I pivot a stone on top, findwhere it wants to rest, place another,then another, completely captivatedby stones – shapely, pleasing,mysterious as eggsleft by prehistoric mothers.I want to know what secretsthey harbor in their cool depths. Sometimes these stacked stones slumpas if seeking a balance they findmore pleasing. Or maybe Earth’s rotationis felt more honestly by those who leanin accord with our great whirlingMother stone. Eventually these stackswill sink and rest until Earth’s tideslift them into other hands. Sunrise Sometimes I am abducted bya bird suddenly branch-nearor rock colors revealed by rushing water. This morning ridged clouds beamorange and fuchsia, a crazy quiltthrown over the sun’s waking face its hues cast on windows, doorknobs, puddles, the travel mug in my hand.Color seeps into my pores, dissolves me. I don’t noticemy posture or thoughts. I amentirely orange and fuchsia. Laura Grace Weldon has published two poetry collections, Blackbird (Grayson 2019) and Tending (Aldrich 2013). She was named Ohio Poet of the Year for 2019. Laura works as a book editor and lives with vast optimism on a small farm where she'd get more done if she didn't spend so much time reading library books, cooking weird things, and singing to livestock. Connect with her at lauragraceweldon.com.