ROUND
ROUND
State departments of transportation use military artillery to control the avalanche threat above mountain highways. Occasionally artillery ordnance does not explode upon impact: a potential risk to hikers after the snow melts.
— United States Forest Service
1
All night the sound of water
in a ditch. No dreams to speak of.
Not the cannon shells
across the canyon or their routine
sound. Snow
pulled from the mountain like a sleeve
torn from a shoulder.
We inoculate our son. In the needle,
the same virus we hope his body
will defeat.
2
In my father’s dream
it is the ditch that wakes him,
All night the sound of water
in a ditch. No dreams to speak of
voices coming from the lawn.
Outside, men stand with their arms uncrossed,
Not the cannon shells
across the canyon or their routine
men who ask him for his boots.
When he slips them from his feet
sound. Snow
pulled from the mountain
he sees water spilling from the tops,
water running from the porch
torn from a shoulder.
We inoculate our son. In the needle
and gutter, water where the ditch had been,
the mountains all made low
the same virus we hope his body
will defeat
3
I woke, waited
barefoot by my window
In my father’s dream
it is the ditch
until the cannon shook my roof again,
sent the smallest avalanche
coming from the lawn.
Outside
it had not meant to
barreling from my shingles.
his boots.
When he slips them from his feet
In the dream
I saw men standing where the ditch had been,
water spilling from the tops,
running
then only half
their bodies stranded in the snow
where the ditch had been,
the mountains all made low
4
When they said it was a boy
hiked farther than the others on the mountain,
woke, waited
barefoot by my window
stumbled on the live round
in the grass and pine needles where the shell
shook my roof again
the smallest avalanche
struck in winter,
I dreamed I also picked the metal from the ground
had not meant to
barreling
to see it better,
knew its risk by weight alone,
In the dream
I saw men standing
ran the shell back quickly
to my father
then only half
their bodies stranded in the snow
5
When they said it was a boy
hiked farther than the others on the mountain,
stumbled on the live round
in the grass and pine needles where the shell
struck in winter,
I dreamed I also picked the metal from the ground
to see it better,
knew its risk by weight alone,
ran the shell back quickly
to my father
