Gathering Clouds

Poetry

Gathering Clouds

On a morning when mist ribboned the valley

and my steps were light,

I collected tufts of white wool from the barbs

of fences and wild roses.

When I came upon the web

of an orb spider spun between dry blades of grass,

I sat down and pulled the wool

from my pockets,

releasing strands into the light wind, floating one

and then another

into the silken house.

—Ian Boyden

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[This poem originally appeared in the artist book Twenty Views of Cascade Head (Crab Quill Press, 2001).]

Constellations of Humanity

Each luminous dot on this map represents one reader of this poem. As the number of readers increases, the stars begin to cluster and form an increasingly detailed constellation. My intent is to show how brightly a poem glows across our world. I welcome your light.