Elan Mudrow
Smidgens
The Ledge
Out on the ledge, the snow hushes the wild.
This kind of quiet soothes while it scares
Strange mixture of awareness.
A lone northern harrier is the only singer.
She strafes the powder with one beat of her wings
Eyes on everything, including me.
I follow the trail by footprints.
Cougar’s, coyote’s, and smaller critters’.
An occasional imprint veers off
Into the untouched soft carpet
An outlier perhaps, a rebel, a seeker
Leading to a bush, taller pines,
Then disappears.
The wind won’t care for you here
Hides, waits to spring, to pounce.
I look over my back into the still.
It’s only the silence stalking me.
I shiver either from fear or cold
Interrupted by the occasional cracking of stray ice.
I will not let the wind trick me
Taking me too close to the ledge
Though I can’t help but peek
Over the edge, down near the warm river
Where I imagine soothing voices, movement
If such things exist.
The ledge fools you with a number of beliefs
Including the truth.
34 Comments on “The Ledge”
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Elan Mudrow 
Thanks Jill!
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I have often been pleasantly surprised by hiking a trail in during different seasons and the entire mood of the place changes. Very enjoyable poem and image. -Jill
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Thank you Jill. That’s an image looking over Coyote Wall in the Columbia River Gorge. I was on a trail there in January when I captured that image. Today, I was across that gorge you see in the background. No snow, but a desert of long, tall grass. Same place, different experience.
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The photo is beautiful. I read the poem. The imagery is haunting. Really enjoyed it. -Jill
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Danger draws in and warns off at the same time, nicely captured here.
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I’m standing on that ledge in my life now and the wind is my angel
loved this
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Beautiful:)
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Beautiful writing- imagery as vivid as the emotions evoked.
“I look over my back into the still.
It’s only the silence stalking me.
I shiver either from fear or cold”
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It was quite beautiful out there. Thanks!
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I could see it, beautifully written, thanks for sharing!
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Thanks!
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Really beautiful, I love the imagery you use, I felt as if I was trapped in the cold snow. I love the stalking of the silence particularly!
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Hi Elan
The use of your words are without boundaries, lovely to have met you though my blog, Lachlan
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Your reference to soothing voices below brings to mind the sirens heard by Odysseus and his crew. A great piece of writing. Best – Kevin
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Vintage Mudrow at his best. Fire on.
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a fresh moment
of touching
nature’s chill 🙂
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The beauty, fears and questions the ledge brings forth. This is lovely. I like your photo.
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In-between Hemingway’s novels and Philip Larkin. Hats off!
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It’s so beautiful and icy fresh . . . I live around here, so it’s so cool being able to share this scenery with you.
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Amazing read. Made my afternoon. Thank you.
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That must be god’s country, where it is. It’s lovely.
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Wow! Thanks Mary.
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one of those moments a person gets drawn within the words, the photographs and at the end…wishing i had wrote this 🙂
I really like this…Thank you for sharing thoughts that feel
Take Care…You Matter…
Blessings
maryrose
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You are a brilliant reader. Thanks so much!
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Yes, thanks Annette.
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Love the play between peace and fear, between beauty and disaster. Lovely images!
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Inspiring
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“The ledge fools you with a number of beliefs.” Lovely.
Thank you for making and then sharing.
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Thank you Hanna!
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Beautiful.
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Brilliant! Really enjoyed the pace and the imagery. X
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“The ledge fools you with a number of beliefs
Including the truth…”
Wowser. That’s an encore of an ending. Super duper!
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“I follow the trail by footprint.”this speaks up so much! Beautiful.
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