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Smoke Signal
by Kristina WoodhillThe dragon men
Came smokin' down
The ditch bank yesterday,
Throwing flames at
Every brown and
Dried up limb
In water's way.
Their big ole tank
Of fuel they hauled
With some ole
New age mule
As they dug and whacked
At last year,
This year's hope
Their sharpest tool.
And the snow is on the Sawtooths
They can see it clear from here!
White diamonds in the sunlight
Gems of promise for this year.
The magic there residing
In the melt that's on its way
Lifts the heart of every desert rat
That plows this desert clay.
The webbed feet crowd
Are honkin' horns
And thumpin' on their rafts,
Respectful at a distance
Not to force an avalanche.
The white they see
Is golden
As they float toward
Days to come
When they'll plunge
Into the Salmon
On their first
White water run.
And the snow is on the White Clouds
They can see it clear from here!
The snow shoes will be
Swapped for Tevas,
Strapped for summer wear.
The rumble in their innards
Like a Class 4 rapid's roil,
Is an engine revved and ready
Like the mighty Snake's tight coil.
Beneath the earth
The Moles sit tight
And chew on Klondike
Tales
Topped off with silver
Melodies
And nuggets big as whales.
The memories of
Dixie Queen
Reverberate taut strings
And play the copper
Tympanies
And bide the ides
Of Spring.
Flame on, dragon men, your torches
Send smoke signals on the wind,
Passage for the coming waters
Ushers of Winter's rescind.
Flame on, flame on, new hope Prophets,
Wake the moles and webbed feet camps
Prime the pump that fuels the tractors
Racing Mother Earth's Spring sap.
04/08/2008
Author's Note: When the irrigation ditch banks are burned in Spring, it is a sure sign precious water is on its way. This has been a heavy snow winter, a blessing to the many Idaho industries including farming, mining, white water rafting. The Klondike and Dixie Queen are two historical mines. Numerous others are still active in Idaho, the Gem State. Drought years bring an underlying controlled panic for all of us here in the West. There are those who say the most serious war will be one fought over water.
Posted on 04/08/2008
Copyright © 2025 Kristina Woodhill
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Charlie Morgan on 04/09/08 at 02:59 PM ...kristina, this is packed w/ "stuff"[words] that carry me away...i too loved your author note so i could more specifically see the state but i saw allll the things mentioned annnnd kudos for the line:
As they dug and whacked
At last year,
This year's hope
Their sharpest tool.
this line is edible...charlie
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| Posted by Gregory O'Neill on 04/09/08 at 07:32 PM Hi Kristina. Generous images and competently turned phrases make this a pleasure to read. Thanks for the author's note, too...which further opens the eyes. Thanks. |
| Posted by Elizabeth Jill on 04/09/08 at 10:44 PM Like Charlie, I am immersed in you and your verse. And especially love the line
"As they dug and whacked
At last year,
This year's hope
Their sharpest tool."
(when oh when is your publisher going to perk up???) |
| Posted by Laurie Blum on 04/12/08 at 08:13 PM The images in this poem are vivid. I had a sense of urgency through the entire poem. The author's note helped me understand why... and this is a great stanza:
Beneath the earth
The Moles sit tight
And chew on Klondike
Tales
Topped off with silver
Melodies
And nuggets big as whales.
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| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 04/13/08 at 01:50 PM Excellent use of poetry to enlighten others of what goes on and even critical in your part of the geography. |
| Posted by Rob Littler on 07/12/13 at 02:10 AM Reading this makes me think so many things about my childhood. Irrigation country. Water as way of life. Thanks for sharing this! |
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