July 7*

clouds stream, pour
out of orcas, splay
to the northeast, cast
overwhelming shadows
               and fill the entire sky, earth

everything we do seems small
thoughts seem furtive, and
are hidden away

i feel exposed, vulnerable
and slip into tree shade
knowing my part in this
is to merely
               bear witness
               to much larger
               energy

pouring.
streaming

*Copyright 2010 by Luther Allen. This poem appears in The View from Lummi Island.