Miramichi Lightning

The sachem voices cloven out of the hills
spat teeth in the sea like nails
before the spruce were combed to soughing peace.

They said a goliath alphabet at once
and stopped to listen to their drumming ears
repeat the chorus round a funeral mountain.

Hurdling a hump of whales they juddered east,
and there were horse-faced leaders whipped the breath
from bodies panting on the intervales.

The lights were planets going out for good
as the rancour of a cloud broke off and fell
into the back of town and foundered there.