Snow so silent

Snow all white but for one bent stalk
One bent nail of a bird call as much sense as the day will offer
One suede pouch for the names of the fallen. Ar ra lan do pan du ra My la Mar a vi llo sa. The syllables mumble in the dark
One voice augers its way through the churning, saying Dear dear clear, saying Heart
So many of us, many of us one by one
And then again an ample table set for all plus one
In the company of grace, Per a lez Ka ro laz Ca si ka Ja ko niuk Pos pi sil I da nan Pe ar row Ka rim Re al li Is ma il San tos
Each one buries all the dead
Dud kie wicz Clay Ikh las

Lee Sharkey
“Snow so silent” is from A Darker, Sweeter String (Off the Grid Press, 2008).