Ruth

i

Always with a roar.                  On your way home
It came loud! Proud rumble           blazing lightning and fire
Shaking warm earth with
Musical thunder. She heard and ran,  like inevitability—
Blazing through the sunset fields.   like the thunder,
Her face pumped and full             you'll find me
Of light. She leapt
                                     believing that
To grasp at the door, to swing       I am here to be found:
It open like a clasp forced wide.
Lips bent double. O proud rumble!    a complicated dial
Great rumble, quaking her            that you may pass
Quiet figure now with a sigh,        'midst one of the paths
Pummelling headlong
And fast through her heart,          waiting
                                     there. In your favourite dress,
Electrifying her arms,
Her fulminated fingers and           I'll seek you out
Lightning touch. There she           through the Texan fields
Wrote. Wrote and wrote               like a hurricane
Through the roar—not with
Pen and ink, but with strokes        and turn—you must—oh
Of fiery bright thorns.              I'll have you turned.

ii

Always with a roar,                  On your way home
Too fast, too exact!                 bruised and tired
In the field of thunder
Sometimes they hit too               like inevitability—
Close to home. She fell              like a departed train
As she started to run,               you have left me
Red ankles over
                                     believing that
Pale knots of grass.                 I am lost, forever:
The clouds seemed to
Move a little                        a complicated dial
As she fell a little                 battered by the bullet rain.
Hard-pressed kissing                 A better time stopped
The warm sweet earth, feeling the
Full weight                          waiting
                                     for today, forever hopeful. Perhaps
Tumbling through. She held a
Fistful of fire, but too late.       I'll seek you out
The land had stirred, then paused.   this time
The rumble passed, now               through a different weather
In search for another
Conductible vessel                   and turn—you must—oh
Ready and true!                      I must have you turned.

iii

Always with a roar.                  I'll have you turned,
Always with fire and light!          and turn you must—oh
Proud rumble,
This time a little closer.           like a hurricane
This time just within reach          through the Texan fields.
To make a grab                       I'll seek you out
For the mighty stretch—
                                     there in your favourite dress,
To make a step worth                 waiting
Falling over for—cling on to
The electrifying tail,               'midst one of the paths
The burning end of the next          that you may pass.
Great tale, then tug fiercely        A complicated dial:
Towards her own
Heart and head filling up wholly,    I am here to be found,
                                     believing that
With matching throbs thundering
Just as great. A passage             You'll find me
Re-opened for the lightning words.   like the thunder,
Proud rumble, caught and turned      like inevitability
Into impeccable verses just
Rightly written, like a fair copy    blazing lightning and fire
Impressed upside down.               on your way home.

Dale Chou
2013-03-27