Somerville poet Reza Tokaloo sent us this poem he wrote while he was away in the woods involved with a psychodrama retreat. Tokaloo is studying for his M.S. in Social Work at Simmons College in Boston.

The Crawling Speech

Murky water rolling in its crawling speech.

River trees with roots like tussled hair.

Winter vapor curtain hanging everywhere.

Dying leaves toward tall branches reach.

A cardinal spies a suburban gutter weeping.

Mist curtain falling from the hands of rain.

Our tired feet decline but cannot complain.

Slow season’s breeze in the trees busy sweeping.

Lips embrace the monuments they petrify.

Ghosts of children infatuated by their reflections.

Cold cities sprout into doomed erections.

Along rivers our doubts attempt to clarify.

Holy ladies in gardens with cherubs in arms.

Crystal showers never dousing bright candles.

Like the tears a mother carelessly handles.

Until we sell our last summer charms.

– Reza Tokaloo

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