Like a Knife Thrown Into Barnwood...

Like a knife thrown into barnyard wood,
you get pretty good at it...
You know the weight and balance of the knife,
know the hurricane sharpness of its point

and the flash of its steel...
and you keep it that way, like surgical steel,

stainless steel...
Know how to grind it down on the wheel,

grind it to a fine point,
keep it balanced like an aerodynamic missile...

flip it just right, across the barnyard air,

not far from the metal horse trough,
the white-washed buildings, over the

cow manure dust, the heat and memories

of my summers' youth, even dodge the whizz
of the dragonflies or invite them in to watch,
them and their busy dragonfly eyes...

"Watch this..." you say, and flip it once,

twice, three times, twenty-four times, thirty-two...

each time across the barnyard, a few early ones

go high or low or errant, a few are lost until

you get right on target and the barnyard wood finally says,
"OK! I got the picture...so you know how to WRITE!...

Go back to bed..."And so I do...mood nearly over...I'm spent...

and the barn/house/corral dust of my grandparents' farm

settles back down into my memory of being 12 again

and I'm wondering if I could still stick this knife into

that barnwood shed over there...And I do...

Mission accomplished one more time...

©Peter Bray, 2009 and 1/30/10 All rights reserved