Letter to the Person Who Carved His Initials into the Oldest Living Longleaf Pine in North America

Vandal Poem of the Day: November 4, 2022

Letter to the Person Who Carved His Initials into the Oldest Living Longleaf Pine in North America
 by Matthew Olzmann

—Southern Pines, NC
Tell me what it’s like to live without
curiosity, without awe. To sail
on clear water, rolling your eyes
at the kelp reefs swaying
beneath you, ignoring the flicker
of mermaid scales in the mist,
looking at the world and feeling
only boredom.  To stand
on the precipice of some wild valley,
the eagles circling, a herd of caribou
booming below, and to yawn
with indifference. To discover
something primordial and holy.
To have the smell of the earth
welcome you to everywhere.
To take it all in and then,
to reach for your knife.

from Constellation RouteFind more by Matthew Olzmann at the library
Copyright © 2022 Matthew Olzman

Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Alice James Books.

Published in Matthew Olzmann Poems

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