white by Amy Clampitt
over the great inland
riverbeds the greater
lakebeds a runneled
skitter by dusk a blur
swarms interspersing glooms
of conifers the far
side of the pass with
mazily hexagonal
lopsided falling things
or substances or stuffs
bear paw ear flap rabbit
scut the mirror-haunch of
pronghorn whiteness of whale
of glacial octopus
such thunderous accu-
mulations' drip and roar
snowmelt sunbreaks advances
and retreats the polar
threatener tossing to
cherry trees by parking
lots unseasonable
nosegays leaving on wind-
shields these wet billets-doux
the snow is general
***
white, but
not general
but specific
named particular
otter's brow scat leaf print
truck runnel tracks through snow
body's penumbra and direction
crow that slices sky in two
defining silence slicing contour
where before then and after
where the world was or might become
where you are and are not
who you are and most definitely not you
the white world breath of evanescence
sea forming convoluted mirth in foam
greyscale comma strike
infinitude murmur scope
