The Sunday Poet: Zachary Bos

Poet Zachary Bos

"Zachary Bos studied poetry in the graduate creative writing program at Boston University. He is editor of nerobooks.org. 'Conscious Explanations' by Mark Schorr was the first book published by his Pen & Anvil Press."

Lascaux Massachusetts

                i.m. Mark Schorr

Now look with me away from this screen where

I have just read my friend this morning died.

Let us look through this window, through the air

that carries the scent of marsh mud and salt

as it combs across the marsh at low tide.

We are high here, and on an upper floor,

and down away from us the rows of hills

melt into the distance, becoming more

soft and gray the farther away they are.

Fog softens them too, removes their features.

The winter rain rubs them smooth. All nature

winds itself down as it moves. Years of rain

wash the gilding from the grooves of the names

carved into the stone of our monuments.

What we leave out gets lost, erodes away

and decays. What does remains are stories.

Their gold is renewed with each retelling.

They are kept safe in the confines of all

we sing or say with sincere meaning. They

are beyond the reach of rust, just as safe

as the dancing aurochsen breathed upon

the caverock walls by those ancient painters

who knew we must keep inside what we want

to save from weather and oblivion.

                                                [ January 3, 2017 ]