by Tony Schanuel
Green Cathedral
In the green cathedral
cascades of moss and fern
adorn pillars.
Shafts of filtered light illuminate
corpses of ancient giants
hidden in the understory,
slowly reclaimed by
dense salal, huckleberry and
the slim trunks of young trees
Nature is not stagnant,
from death comes life.
How old were you father
when the axe bit into your flesh
to wedge the springboard?
It took two to bring you down,
sawing in shifts for hours,
a rending from the earth
as you toppled,
the ground shuddering,
as you crashed.
Your remnant remains.
Even now,
it takes four to encircle you,
imagine your heft and bulk,
in life.
Janis La Couvée (she/her) is a writer and poet with a love of wild green spaces. She resides in Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada on the territory of the Liǧʷiɫdax̌ʷ people – the Wei Wai Kum, We Wai Kai and Kwiakah First Nations, and is dedicated to conservation efforts and exploring the great outdoors. Her poems are upcoming in or featured by Pure Slush, Van Isle Poetry Collective, Island Writer, Paddler Press, Humana Obscura, pocket lint and WordSpring Society of the Arts. Find her at: janislacouvee.com Twitter: @lacouvee Facebook: JanisLaCouveeOnline Mastodon: @lacouvee@mastodon.online.
Tony Schanuel is an award-winning photographer and visual artist who has fused a professional background in photography, digital technology, and painting and mark making to create fine art that transcends those mediums. His work has been featured in Digital Imaging Magazine, Computer Graphic Magazine, Wild Heart Journal, St. Louis Design Magazine, and is a featured artist in Cyber Palette and Extreme Graphics, two books showcasing digital artists and their work. He has exhibited at the Florence Biennale and his art is held in private and corporate collections including the Fine Arts Museum of Houston permanent photographic collection. http://www.schanuelphoto.com/.