Blue Pines
written by: Scott Thomas Outlar
@17Numa
I consulted my stars
during a dry spell in the plains
they told me to lie down in the grass
make a blanket of the leaves
told me to build a fire
in the season when the sky grows cold
told me age is just a number
until it kills you
warm in the bones where the ache melts
told me the trees will always love you
but they alone cannot protect from the storm
told me that even saints will cheat
when they’re trying to save the soul of a sinner
told me clocks of time are just illusions
so add another hour when you’re feeling slow
I spoke to my ghosts
in the night with the moon hung low
they told me every choice leads to another
but don’t forget to breathe
Scott Thomas Outlar
Scott Thomas Outlar is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. He now lives and writes in Frederick, Maryland. He is the author of seven books, and his work has been nominated multiple times for both the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. He guest-edited the Hope Anthology of Poetry from CultureCult Press as well as the 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 Western Voices editions of Setu Mag. He has been a weekly contributor at Dissident Voice for the past eight years. Selections of his poetry have been translated into Afrikaans, Albanian, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Cherokee, Dutch, French, Hindi, Italian, Kurdish, Malayalam, Persian, Serbian, and Spanish. More about Outlar's work can be found at 17Numa.
Latest posts by Scott Thomas Outlar (see all)
- In It, of It, and Can’t Skip Around It - January 27, 2023
- Alkalizing Spirit - April 8, 2022
- Indigo - October 10, 2021
