swifts  &  s l o w s · a quarterly of crisscrossings

dirt trail in a pine forest
Lisa Brognano

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Symbiosis

Active in summer’s hot den, birds in high pitch
disgraced Puccini’s operas—melodies belted
out to an open sky—

Conducted by an orchestra of hollow surfaces,
bill drummers bore holes for future acorns—
steady taps sufficient
to hold
the beat

The pleasure of song not fooled by seats,
tickets, and velvet curtains—
tiny performers fluttering on a vast stage

delivering

free concerts
that run long

Dirt trail in a pine forest of Norway Spruce,
the odd scrub oak, too, bring around those

who really know
how to listen

Aerial Reformation

Scalloped
clouds
in a solid band
overlaid a backdrop two shades lighter
than the mouth of the sea, partly tucked
behind jade,
willow,
and olive canopies,
the mass eventually separating into two

Superficial

light
invaded
shadow
as if penned—
artistic lineation marking a gravel patch
under deck slats

Orange cats pawed
the bright specks
until old bricks stacked behind the garage
got their attention

Distractions

were a part of this type of work
he told himself in the mechanical
way he always did everything

The funny part was how he tried to
hold it together when the fence posts
crumbled and the truck kept driving

He should’ve shouted and waved
his hands overhead to get
the woman’s attention
before the grass matted
and the ruts
ruined the landscape

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Lisa Brognano is a visual artist and poet. Her published novels include, In the Interest of Faye (Golden Antelope, 2017) and A Man for Prue (Resplendence, 2017), plus the full-length poetry books: The Willow Howl (Nixes Mate, 2017), The Copper Weathervane (Luchador, 2020), and Royal Blue Shutters (Fernwood, 2022).  Her poetry and fiction have appeared in national and international literary journals.