Laura Grace Weldon
Before The Bulldozers Arrive
Steel-strong lengths of Osage orange make
strong twisted fence posts where Baltimore orioles
and redwing blackbirds perch to sing.
Hay grown knee high shudders in the breeze
across this field's dips and hollows, like
the hairy belly of a giant breathing in his sleep.
A young rabbit halts at the ditch, wary,
then hops into a comb-over of long grass.
At the west end, grazing cows lift their heads.
Some pause mid-chew, grass hanging decorously.
My eyes like to rest here where sky claims
its full arc. I want to know these fields more fully
than any lens might capture, so I squint, savor, mourn.
I want to stand here until I know why.
Bio
Laura Grace Weldon is the author of the poetry collections Blackbird and Tending, as well as a handbook of alternative education titled Free Range Learning. She was named Ohio Poet of the Year for 2019. Her background includes teaching nonviolence workshops, writing collaborative poetry with nursing home residents, and facilitating support groups for abuse survivors. She works as a book editor and teaches community writing classes. Connect with her at lauragraceweldon.com.