s2

Sets out trekking early not even an
hour the shrieks of a toddler in a

clearing by rushing stream stops
him cold what happened. Had it

lain the night in timber wilds poor
thing in throes lone survivor.

had trekked days already failed to
pack enough grub strayed in

search of twisty old poet's trail
obscured by fallen trees reach

forsaken cabin veiled in creepers
sweep broken porch stoke fire sup

on crusts sleep in forest depths
till dawn unsure of position

thin odds reaching outpost by
dusk I'll be sleeping rough again

tonight nearing horrid infant boy
squirming on brittle red dirt

swollen faced filthy rags in
frenzied claw over frozen loam

flinching flailing raging to high
heaven screaming in catagorical

terror halt at muted distance
take seat on forest floor

- how did you get here little rōnin
frond poking up from mum's

carpet of needles where is she by
the way what happened?

- torn. vanquished task complete
fiction finito duty discharged

that's it vamoose

- did you discern her sonic body
from grunts of earth bending

minuscule ear bones inside her
womb of wonder did you learn

that arcane tongue?

- twice delivered from midwinter
frozen moon awakens one icy

dawn crystals on his nose crawls
from beneath my cooling corpse

composted raiment wads his tiny
hands at my bluing face tapping

'what is gone?'

Blent mud soaked leaves damp
larvae nature scores her own

grievance plopped down to quell
commotion purling water rushing

over round stones pale blue icy
skies send tingles up our spines

much water gushing too cunning
drawn knee to knee in tepid sun

stream moistened crusts to this
baby's lips we sign the charter

(s2)

. . .

[early draft]

Sets out trekking early not even an
hour when shrieks of a toddler in a

clearing near rushing stream stops
him cold what happened. Had it

lain the night in timber wilds poor
thing in throes lone survivor. Had

trekked days already failed to pack
enough grub went astray in search

of twisty old poet's trail obscured
by fallen trees reach abandoned

cabin veiled in creepers sweep
broken porch stoke fire sup on

crusts sleep solo in forest depths
till dawn's thin odds reaching

any outpost before sunset
likely sleeping rough again

tonight in approach to horrid
infant boy asquirm on brittle

dirt swelled red-face filthy rags
frenzied claws on frozen loam

flinching flailing raging to high
heaven screaming in total terror

a halts at a muting distance
takes his seat on forest floor

- how did you get here little rōnin
frond poking up from mum's

carpet of needles where is she by
the way what happened?

- torn. vanquished task complete
fiction finished duty discharged

vamoose that's it

- did you discern her sonic body
from grunts of earth, bending

minuscule ear bones inside her
womb of wonder, did you learn

that arcane tongue?

- twice delivered from midwinter
frozen moon. Awakens one icy

dawn crystals on his nose crawls
from beneath my cooling corpse

composted raiment wads his tiny
hands to my bluing face taps,

'what is gone?'

Blent mud soaked leaves damp
larvae, nature scores her own

grievance plopped down to quell
commotion purling waters rush

over round stones pale blue icy
skies send tingles up our spines

much water gushing too cunning
we draw knee to knee in tepid sun

streams moistened crusts to this
baby's lips, we sign the charter

(s.2