Theme
who invented this moonlit land
by David Lloyd Whited
who invented this moonlit land filled with
work which changes nature, but not life &
never the nature of man? this immutable nature
of man as work & the anthropology of work or dream.
body art quicksilver medication, restless
nights filled with roosting crows, frustrated
by reality he turns to his dreams.
This whole land is void of laughter. the
drear fog of winter settled in from the people’s
eyes. she had had the last laugh back somewhere
in late August, perhaps early September, when
the salmon, when the blue backs look up the creek.
that was the last time they had laughed
& he couldn’t remember why or how their world
had gone so serious. where had it gone? where
was the glint of the fish? the warmth of the
fire? the changing of the tide? get back to work.
that is our only advice — & the last laugh still
won’t return. we begin to think that this
last laugh thing is pretty serious. we never
really expected to witness the last laugh—-
to see it spent so frivolously, so lightly.
just who is it has the last laugh? we could
use it back (you know). kind of like a hair ball
or bad food, coyote’s pretty sure
whoever has it should just cough it up.
poems have been published in literary journals throughout the United States.
He has been a writer-in-residence at Bowling Green State University and Interlochen Arts Academy, and poetry and nonfiction editor
for NRG, The Medicine Bag, and other journals. His books include 3 & 1, Poor Billy Bonney, Hollow Fox, Poemoptrics,
and The Elevens (1995, Black Heron Press). His most recent books include Wet Way Home (26 Books) and The Shadow Dance (nine muses books, 2005).
Whited lives on Vashon Island and is a Planner for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. He is currently working on a poetry ms.
tentatively titled Olde Coyote Goes To Towne. Four of the poems appear in Vol 13, No 1 of Raven Chronicles.