In the Way of the Gate
Jennifer Crow
This is no gentle sloping path of grass
to fabled cities rich with gold and silk--
no broad sward here to lead the footsore past
the misbegotten shepherds and their ilk.
No morning sun illumines the winding road
nor summer breeze draw heat from weary brow--
when light does fall, it drives me like a goad,
the wind so stiff, it makes my shoulders bow.
I seek the gate in valleys steep and dire,
through thorny vales and caverns without day:
a doorway into rebirth laced with fire,
an aperture to rid me of this clay.
And if I find the secret of this door?
Go in to stay, and leave it nevermore.
The word 'cherry' makes Jennifer Crow think of A. E. Housman's
"Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now". That poem has always been a
reminder to her to put aside worries and enjoy the moment. In the
interest of doing just that, she plans to put aside poetry for the
evening and appreciate her husband, who can tie a knot in a cherry
stem with his tongue.
If you can believe it, her work has appeared in a number of genre print and electronic publications, including Abyss & Apex, Star*Line, and the recent anthology Bondage from Sam's Dot. To learn more about her work, feel free to check out her blog.
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