The Burden of the Land
This is as far as the sea goes
after it, the rocks;
this is where we stopped
and let the horizon come to rest.
This is as far as the sea goes
after it, the rocks
where there is something from our yesterdays
in the sound of the water’s dirge.
How we’ve learned to live with pain,
like a victim with a thief;
how beautifully the past masquerades
as tomorrow’s confidant.
This is as far as the sea goes,
after it, the rocks.
David Ritchie has appeared in many on-line and
print publications, including: Serpentine, Poetry Motel, Northwest Literary
Forum, Parnassus Literary Journal, Piedmont Literary Review, The Horsethief’s
Journal, and was the blue ribbon winner for poetry with the Southern Poets
award in haiku. He has been an active proponent of poetry through teaching
and public performances for many years in the Seattle, Washington area,
including radio and television. His recent works appeared in The Animist
(Australia), bonfire (Scotland), Gravity (US), and Niederngasse. He resides
in LaConner, Washington, and spends much of his time in the San Juan Islands.
E-mail: wdritch@hotmail.com
Writing interests: Poetry
I.D. Theory articles: "The
Burden of the Land"
His online publication for poetry, The BlueWater Journal, is at www.webwowser.com/bluewater.