Tonight—my deep ochre sun
fell from his sky of smoky despair—
silhouetting in the burning heartbreaks
of many a hard-western life—and dream.
With parched and teary eyes, I
breathe in the choking haze, and I
respond with deep, shuddering coughs.
Then abruptly, inside his gloomy yawn
my rusting orb drops—much deeper
into a bed of dimly ashen greys and
lavender sleep—still in adoration
for his everlasting companion—
while the world just rolls on
upon her firm silent wings
into the cooler sides of
darkness—wrapped
in a calm river of
timeless space.
A repose, where
God’s gentle touch
again baths her soul in
the all-consuming snowfalls
of distant and devoted starlight.
Soothing away her drearier mists
and healing all of her worried hearts.
Till again—when my sun prepares
to greet her on another new day
another brighter morning—
embracing her within
his fiercer grasp
and a much
happier
hope.
Doug and his family live in Oakley, Utah. Doug is a retired water and energy director of a large water district in Summit County. Doug has spent his life in the environmental science industry, focusing primarily on water resource protection, efficiency, and sustainability. He has served in many public positions, including the Oakley City Council and Mayor. He currently is a volunteer on the County Board of Health, the City Planning Commission, and on the board of a local trail foundation. As an avid hiker and environmentalist, Doug has spent much of his life writing poetry based upon the unifying aspects of nature, science, and his strong LDS faith. He often finds himself lonely, out of place, or misunderstood, especially in Utah, as he drifts upon the left-hand forks of his life river.
