29

Up the hill & down
the hill    

The hill 
is a mountain

The mountain
is 976 feet above sea level

Sea level is a lever 
to pull in case of emergency

a switch to flood the darkness
with light 

a parallel understanding 
to hills & the way they part

along one side & bristle 
with evergreens amid fallen trees

One year half the island burned
but the other half held its breath

& today the old growth
looks around

shakes its heavy limbs
& wants nothing more 

than to stride
off into the sea

beyond the green bell buoy
beyond the green ringing of the bell