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Tish Davis

Above the Tree Line

climbing
the mountain trail —   
loose rocks     
on a tilted ledge
. . . this thin air  

Hooves clacking on root and stone. In single file, we’re on the trail above my in-laws’ ranch in the Rockies.  A horse’s grunt interrupts the dirge.  No one speaks.

A small procession, we follow my mother-in-law through a grove of golden aspen. But my steed already knows the way to the family’s sacred place.  I spot the cairn when we emerge from the tree line. 

Distant mountains fire.  Their aspen glow. A gentle wind carries the chanting.

over peak colors     
we let go the reins          
for the bamboo urn,     
for the simple pull          
of a wooden peg

descending        
in this thin air             
on the horses           
my husband          
will someday lead

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About the Author

Tish Davis lives in Northern Ohio. Her tanka and related forms have appeared in numerous online and print publications. When she isn’t busy with work and grandchildren she enjoys exploring the local parks with her husband and three dogs.