Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda

Do You Know About the Raintree?

Do you know about the world’s broad belt?
            They say that in Brazil at the equator
            birdsong fills the heart of the Catrimani
            River.  Its bed, teeming with diamonds
            and gold, grows fat with this riot of light.

Do you know about the beehive tombs in Greece?
            Lower yourself by rope into the dark secret.
            If the rope breaks, let your eyes adjust
            to blindness.  They say there is a sun
            behind your lids.  Climb its ascending
            rays back to the earth’s roar.

Do you know about the rainbow fish?
            Solid black, they ruled the waters
            before earthquakes opened their coffers,
            turquoise, topaz, amethyst, jade
            plummeting into the rivers where
            the eyes of the dark fish shimmered
            as they fed on the earth’s rainbow.

Do you know about the hidden mountains?
            They say that in Tanzania and Kenya
            the mountains warred.  Kilimanjaro
            and Mt. Kenya pushed their broad
            shoulders too high into sky.
            Now, whenever they nudge God’s throne,
            his angry breath shrouds their peaks.

Do you know about waters of the Grotto?
            You will find the pool off the coast
            of Italy on Capri.  Lie down
            in the boat’s bottom to enter
            the cave’s mouth, then feast on
            a blue mirror that butterflies
            carry here on their wings:  pieces
            of sky they gather learning to fly.

Do you know about the raintree?
            There’s a tree, invisible, with a broad
            canopy in the sky.  The earth sings to it
            whenever it’s thirsty.  They say
            if the song’s loud enough to rise,
            the ripest blooms will break off
            their branches and rinse earth’s
            green cathedral in firstlight and last.

 
Originally appeared in Antietam Review and reprinted in the author's book, Gathering Light.