I like this poem – no, I’m proud of this poem – and haven’t shared it with anyone in a long time. It was originally published in Pembroke, the literary journal of the University of North Carolina. I’ve never been to North Carolina, but maybe one of these days… I imagine many trees.
THE SHADOW OF FERNS
Some night you will be cold
and alone. Maybe an animal
is crying outside or the wind
is dragging a branch of palm
across the roof and it wakes you.
If you love me, say my name aloud.
There is no ceremony.
Just say it once or twice
into the darkness, or into the cool
electric glow of your lamp.
Say it slowly to a patch of moonlight
on the rug.
Maybe I will hear it, as I stare
at the vague shadow of ferns
cast by the moon on my drapes.
Then say it for hope, for life,
for the distance between us.
Shadow of Ferns by J. Kyle Kimberlin is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.
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Metaphor 
I love this poem. I know this place. It's like North Carolina and the opposite of North Carolina. Ticks between a clock. Another beautiful sorrow cast out from a heart to a world to a heart again. And that quick it inspired lyrics for another song. Look to your e-mail. Music to follow . . .
Thanks Billie. I would love to visit. Maybe I'll do a reading in Raleigh someday.I've looked at that picture of your home on your blog and thought it seems to be surrounded by creative peace (the animals must help) that's very hard to generate here in Lego Land. The quintessential writer's farmhouse. With cool humans too, no doubt. 🙂
This is one of my favorites of your work – gorgeous. And yes, we do have lots of trees! If you ever make it to NC, you'll have to come visit us on November Hill. I expect you would be fast friends with donkeys and Bear Corgi, especially. 🙂