Apprentice

The Ancient Modern

Apprentice  /  Joshua Alan Sturgill         

your eyes the wide
green river       if
under the weight of age
the ancient tree leans out 
and in Summer, petals, or
in Autumn, ochre leaves 
fall to the wide
green river      when
your shoulders, Orion’s
bearing the sky
drawing forever the arrowed bow
over night’s lime and shale 
my hands then my eyes, my mouth 
search slowly
hidden stones in the wide
green river      who 
will we be when you die? 
under the water 
of beginning      if
we do not drink, we drown

All poetry and supplementary material: copyright 2022 by Joshua Alan Sturgill. All rights reserved.