Five Poems by David Estringel

 

A Scene Outside the Window of a Country Church  

 

Shocks of green 

flutter  

and shimmer—

dewy butterfly wings 

against the mourning sky— 

dotting a grey horizon 

like birds on a wire 

in a reckless abandon 

of smears and splatters— 

emerald and jade— 

as boys and girls  

in white 

laugh (and love) 

in the wood  

just beyond the gates, 

weaving in and out

from between wild berry bushes

and circumferences of sturdy strokes of brown, 

along timeless stretches  

of their highways  

to the sun. 

 

 

Dusk 

 

The band of pink ‘bove the horizon 

creeps 

toward my bedroom window— 

Astraeus’ fingertips, 

anointed with silvery sleep— 

to hush  

the stir of echoes 

that sets these lips a chatter 

and draw open

the velvety curtains 

to dreams. 

 

 

Fall  

 

Summer clouds 

pull—  

cotton candy stretches—  

‘cross the sky, 

passing time

(and my front porch), 

playing Cat’s Cradle

o’er lazy fields, 

spying atop Jacob’s Ladder. 

With a whisker’s twitch, 

Autumn comes. 

Play and frolics  

in the sun  

fade to grey

with pecks 

from Winter's lips

and the falling of leaves. 

 

 

Winter Comes 

 

White-green, lichen-kissed 

boughs peek through soft whispers 

of cloud tow’rd grey heaven. 

 

Dark-eyed juncos 

scour icy patches from treetops 

for remnants of Fall, 

 

as Winter’s breath 

flatters their breasts of snowy down 

with blushing kisses. 

 

Frost creeps 'pon  

silv’ry skins of bare branches. 

Winter’s ardent advances. 

 

 

Return of the Holly King

 

Stillness, 

colour of winter leaves— 

glistening dab 

from Yule’s brush— 

grasps  

cold captures 

of fleeing sun—

eager clutches 

of slender finger.  

Listen.  

How solemn 

the ring  

that kisses the black 

from bare branches 

and hushes

nightingale’s call. 

The Oak King’s knell.

David Estringel is a Xicanx writer/poet with works published in literary publications, such as The Opiate, Azahares, Cephalorpress, Lahar, Poetry Ni, DREICH, Rigorous, Somos En Escrito, Hispanecdotes, Ethel, The Milk House, Beir Bua Journal, and The Blue Nib. David received his BA in English at the University of Texas at Brownsvile and his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Currently, he is working on his PhD in English (World Literature) at Texas A&M-Commerce. His first collection of poetry and short fiction Indelible Fingerprints was published in April 2019, followed his second and third poetry collections Blood Honey and Cold Comfort House in 2022. David has written three poetry chapbooks, Punctures (2019), PeripherieS (2020), and Eating Pears on the Rooftop (2022). His new book of micro poetry little punctures, a collaboration with UK illustrator, Luca Bowles, will be released in December 2022. Connect with David on Twitter @The_Booky_Man and his website www.davidaestringel.com.