Elusion
by Lorraine Caputo
I.
I awaken in the twilight
of dawn, pallid scarlet bleeding
across the sky like an
aquarelle in the rain
& sense the presence
of my dreams
mute, distant
Deep shadows
I leave them behind
glancing over my shoulder
heeding the light
of day
II.
Dreams glimmer
beyond another cloud-
muted dawn
I reach for their colors
but they dissolve
in my grasp
Droplets evaporating
leaving behind not a stain
in my awakened mind
III.
the dreams still
lie hidden, dull
patches
far away
one, though
has left a
muddled print
in this morning’s memory
IV.
In the yet-night
dreams hum
barely audible
Indigo twilight, the soft
palette of a further
day & birdsong
in the garden
Traveling Down a Country Lane Someplace in the Mountains of Northern Peru
We are all going
our own routes on this
eucalyptus-scented way
The lad herding
a dozen sheep of
dun-white fleece
down the muddy road
The chapped faces above
the stockades of
heavy trucks,
bodies swathed in
thick wraps
The women in tall-crowned,
broad-brimmed hats, ponchos
swaying, full saddlebags
over one shoulder,
twisting wool on hand spindles,
fleeing our approach
& us, in this rattling
white wagon, music playing,
crammed on seats & in back,
a piglet & a big sack
of potatoes
The cloudy-eyed man feeling
the road with his stick,
pants rolled shin-high,
bare feet caked with earth
—
Lorraine Caputo is a wandering troubadour whose poetry appears in over 200 journals on six continents, and 14 chapbooks – including On Galápagos Shores (dancing girl press, 2019). She also authors travel narratives, articles and guidebooks. Ms. Caputo journeys through Latin America, listening to the voices of the pueblos and Earth. Follow her adventures at www.facebook.com/lorrainecaputo.wanderer or http://latinamericawanderer.wordpress.com.