TEN THOUSAND CANCELLATIONS
There is so much beyond this snow-
flecked window I sit behind,
but it's only this
one
tree that matters:
an arm's length from the glass,
diverting winds from my pane.
No matter how hard the gusts tear
to the north,
between the window and
the tree, the whoosh
always
channels south. You
can see this: the snow
-- sharp aerials of ice slicing
and etching
cross-currents in the wind, canceling
everything: great Xs scratched
in the air,
Xing out the sky.
Douglas Milliken
DOUGLAS MILLIKEN is currently a junior enrolled in the English program at Alfred University, where he is studying short fiction writing and Irish Literature. "Rose from Asparagus," his most recently published story, appeared in the March 1 issue of the Hamilton, New York College Crier. Although he will be moving to Alaska soon to continue his studies in literature and writing, Northern Maine always has and will be his home.
