south sound soliloquy

by Noah Brown

Today we woke up in a cloud, 

A sea of white, white sound, 

The white Puget Sound. 

It was tremendous. 

I wanted to shout Ah breathe it in 

And I did. What a day 

To be on a boat with sails and 

Woodstove, the good company 

Of the dog and pa. We moored 

Through the morning here, great floating 

Amanda in great South Sound 

White shroud, cloud abyss fog, 

And made coffee and watched the steam. 

Saw Great Blue Herons float 

In the horizon on their own boats, 

commandeered-broken-half-logs, 

And watched as they took off 

Wings beating just tips of feathers 

Tapping tap-tapping the water’s surface 

Creating ripple after ripple adding 

To the infinitesimal ripples of 

Seemingly infinite South Puget Sound.

Noah Brown writes poetry and prose in close relation to lived experience, focused on capturing small moments and finding voice for the ordinary. He was born and raised in Oregon, spending most of his young life exploring the Pacific Northwest. Noah has a Bachelor’s from the University of Oregon, with a degree in Advertising and Creative Writing. He currently uses his degree to write for himself, splitting his professional career between seasonal work, including wildland firefighting, skiing in Utah, and fishing in Alaska. He writes mostly in the backs of cars, while traveling, and between working shifts.