The one star brighter than all the others,
faint whiff of wood smoke riding
some modest currents of air.
The cabin at my back a brace against it all—
First star, wish I make, chimney air.
Magnet dark, magnet death’s double-dare.
Geri Doran is the author of Epistle, Osprey (Tupelo, 2019) and two previous collections of poetry, Resin and Sanderlings. She teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Oregon.
We welcome reader letters. Email High Country News at editor@hcn.org or submit a letter to the editor. See our letters to the editor policy.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
