Sunday, April 1, 2012

Shadow Stash

photo: linda aschbrenner



Shadow Stash
by Linda Aschbrenner

Early every April we enter our woods
and gather pine shadows.
We peel them cold and wet
off the surface of the snow
and fold them into deep, clear bags.
The shadows feel like wet nylons.
We use twist ties to close each bag.
We carry the bags to the garage,
heap them in a corner.
Usually we get five bags.
Hot August afternoons we pull them out,
all the long, cool, blue shadows,
and prop them up around
our lawn chairs in the backyard.
We sip lemonade and shiver
in the delicious shade.

~ first published in Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar