–after Wassily Kandinsky’s “Lyrical” (Rider on Horse), 1911
the pitched field
and looming
clouds
sculpt
the rider
in this heat
the green arch
of his back like a
frightened cat and sun
bright boots clutching the horse’s
creamy flanks man thoroughbred
and observer all a chroma trance stretched
stretched outside ourselves shuddering in
elongated basso thunder collisions pummeled
arrhythmia unrooted hooves breakneck vanishing
earth ungrounded undulating quaking as one
we barrel off the ridge crest erupting mane like pounded
black piano keys pounded spirited loins ache-gorged breath-
lessness quavering at full gallop over the brink closed-eyed
David A. Goodrum is the author of Vitals and Other Signs of Life (The Poetry Box) and Sparse Poetica (Audience Askew). Recent publications include Gyroscope, The Midwest Quarterly, Soup Can Magazine, The Main Street Rag, Skylight, among others. David lives in Corvallis, Oregon. See more at www.davidgoodrum.com.
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