Cleaving Young Rexroth

Young Rexroth

“Once more all the awe
of a boy from the prairie”
—Kenneth Rexroth,
“The Living Pearl,” Selected
Poems, New Directions 1984

when you — were sixteen
riding freight — on the chicago
milwaukee — st. paul and the
great northern — northern pacific

the names — still sounding
more romantic — than today
burlington — gone santa fe

you got here — long before me
pack-saddling — wild mustangs
untamed — like you…

pintos — zebra dunns
gunmetal roans — buckskins
and splattered — lallapaloosas

mass drives — in the okanogen
gathering wild horses — horse heaven
30 head — up the methow

up to twisp — lake chelan
down the skagit — to puget sound
cooking — and camp work

scissorbills — buying them
pulling milk wagons — sedro wooley
coronado’s — ponies

here i am now — puget sound
bungalow down — by the bay
prairie boyz — who got away