Monochrome

Over the white rail
gray out of gray
steep islands out of gentle oceans
rise in spruce and fir
layer upon layer in a gray rain
An Aleut artist might imagine it
gray clouds in a gray sky
settling distance upon succeeding ridges
of waves and islands
Or in a native myth
to settle upon us
its warmth and beauty
giant Whale and Turtle
gray and gray beasts
breached here too long
long enough
for Raven to drop seeds
men to settle
forests to grow
29 August 1983 between Angoon and Sitka

# 731