Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, FOLLOWERS, by JAMES HARRISON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

FOLLOWERS, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Driving east on buddha's birthday
Last Line: And climb a tree though few of us do.
Alternate Author Name(s): Harrison, Jim
Subject(s): Introspection; Travel; Journeys; Trips


Driving east on buddha's birthday,
April 9, 1978, past my own birthplace
Grayling, Michigan, south 300 miles to Toledo,
then east again to New York for no reason --
belled heart swinging in grief for months
until I wanted to take my life in my hands;
three crows from home followed above
the car until the Delaware River where
they turned back: one stood all black
and lordly on a fresh pheasant killed
by a car: all this time
counting the mind, counting crows,
each day's ingredients
the same, barring rare
bad luck
good luck
dumb luck
all set in marble by the habitual,
locked as the day passes moment by moment:
say on the tracks the train can't
turn 90 degrees to the right because it's not
the nature of a train,
but we think a man can dive
in a pond, swim across it,
and climb a tree though few of us do.





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