Bird Tracks On Hard Snow

by Nelson Ball

Bird Tracks on Hard Snow is Nelson Ball’s first collection of new work in many years. The poems focus primarily on visual perception and taken as a whole form a kind of seasonal diary. Like Ball’s earlier poetry they are characterized by a remarkable economy of language. The poems in the book were written between 1987 and 1993.

Genres: Poetry

61 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[M.W.P.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strands
of your dark hair

touch
your face

and
the air

stirs
leaves

and
your hair

while
this day

records
your presence

- To Barbara, pg. 18

* * *

Owls are
nicely feathered

but
licey

*

Owls
are not afraid

of
mice

*

Yell-
ow

yell-
ow

owl
eyes

- Owls, pg. 21

* * *

Lighning's
spike

ties
sky

to
earth

- Briefly, pg. 26

* * *

The evening moon
is intermittently

obscured by
grey clouds

as speech
falters from time to time

temporary
failures

glimpses of darkness
and silence

- September, for bp, pg. 35

* * *

Swallows
dart

back and forth

like
hyphens

on grey paper

awaiting
words

- Fall Sky, pg. 44

* * *

Grey
days

crawl
over

each
other

- December, pg. 52