A Photograph of Two Girls in the Country by Heidi Seaborn

Photograph by David Hamilton (b. Britain), 1970s?

A Photograph of Two Girls in the Country
 
This bicycle could travel from here
down the snaking drive, beneath the clouded trees,
take us on a journey to plant our yellow flowers,
take us deeper into this silence.
 
For now, we remain still like an unbroken promise.
What sun filters through the haze
lights on the brim of my hat, soft roses
and the blue ribbons winding down my back.
Your hair knots itself into the silver air
and your breasts wrinkle the white blouse like a wind.
 
There is a stone roof where the road turns.
I know if we sat on it,
we could see only steady air,
trees and the far off hum of home.
 
I balance the bicycle with my toes,
think about tarrying here or moving on.
At home you live happiest.
I ride you here to pick roses,
walk barefoot through bunch grass,
to learn the voice of the country.

Heidi Seaborn

This poem was first published in Sequoia.

Heidi Seaborn is in her Poet 2.0 incarnation. She wrote prodigiously in her youth then stopped. After three decades, three kids, four marriages, 27 moves and a successful business career, she started writing again with the advantage of all that experience. Today Heidi lives in Seattle, and benefits from the mentorship of David Wagoner. Her poetry can be found in Puget Soundings, Concrete Wolf’s Ice Dream Anthology,  the Flying South 2016 Anthology,  Fredericksburg Literary & Arts Review, the Voices Project, in the book Fast Moving Water and elsewhere.