Rev. Gerald Dillenbeck Poet Free verse

Swarming Raven Righteousness

Ravens swarm
above a railroaded manly path
I walk

With downriver pilgrims
through mortal silenced wilderness,
away from more dogmatic savagery

Deadly, I fear,
chattering 
clattering
flapping righteous wings
roosting crones 
stalking,
inviting history's dry splattered bones 
to continue back
toward forward

And so continue
with othered chatter 
now fluttering and twittering
off right
on to left
cawing barren winter trees
warning mystery's clawing concern

Not urgent
yet relentlessly hungry 

Poignant memories
for eyes to see
ears to hear,
not follow

But walk along side
then back away,
leaping invisible borders
noted by naked trees,
silent witnesses 
of paternal journey's ravenous flight

Now squawking
stalking right side
and behind,
encouraging hubris to continue on
oil-spilled tracks

But not too far
for they have a place to show
much like rook voices sound
rushing early spring's awakening brook

Streaming water chattering against rock,
fat rain too loud dropping 
on scolding cold tin roof
shelter.

Rain comes
enjoying refound sounds
here to witness this black river
of clatter chatter
purifying ironed tracks

Ahead now,
growing
crowing across shivering river
through grey winter woodland

Raucous spell toward quiet left
pause to swell again
like summer's nighttime crickets.

Crowded ravens regather
to cautiously
silently
suspiciously roost behind me,
watching

What trauma will pass 
from upriver,
uptrack,
up desolate time's revolution 
hunting haunting mystery

Not urgent
aching dull memories 
of starving othered bones
for breaking richer
deeper
quieter upriver fragile times

Pausing stormy visions
fleet fluttered reminders,
then off again

Flying right winged journeys
leaving left behind
to embitter
railroad walking mine.

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Sunlite Wanter February 27, 2017 at 6:48 PM Many poetic lines. I'm thinking Alfred Hitchcock's "Birds." Rev. Gerald Dillenbeck February 28, 2017 at 9:15 AM I certainly felt and saw some of that at the time, as well. What is not in this piece, but I think is somehow important to its tone, is that the old falling down (and I would swear multiply haunted) State mental hospital is where they seemed to be headed, right behind where I was sitting at the time.