Green Linden Press

The Scythe’s Song —James Dott

the difference between frustration and satisfaction
is proper sharpening  —The Book of Scythe

my love, I’ve hung unswung so long
my blade’s succomb to rust, layers

of crushed green hardened on my back
my ashwood snath cries out, oil me

I’m done with frustration, from now
you’ll only satisfy, take me

down, peen and whet my edge from beard 
to toe, hone, hone ’til razor thin

walk us to where the weeds grow tall
grasp my grips, fit for only you

begin our dance, swing, step, draw back 
my blade, leads us in, arc by arc

your hips reap sweat, the shorn all sigh 
and bow to our windrow, our swathe

don’t make me bite, or do, I long 
to taste your salt once more, my love

James (Jim) Dott lives in Astoria, Oregon near the mouth of the Columbia River. His poems have appeared in previous issues of Under a Warm Green Linden, as well as in Written River, Turtle Island Quarterly, Southern Poetry Review, and Windfall. Jim has published two poetry collections, A Glossary of Memory (Blind Slough Books, 2015) and Another Shore (Kelsay Books, 2019). Visit his website jamesdott.com for more on his work.

ISSN 2472-338X
© 2019