Applied Geometry

By Russell Libby Russell Libby

Applied geometry,

measuring the height

of a pine from

like triangles,

Rosa’s shadow stretches

seven paces in

low-slanting light of

late Christmas afternoon.

One hundred thirty nine steps

up the hill until the sun is

finally caught at the top of the tree,

let’s see,

twenty to one,

one hundred feet plus a few to adjust

for climbing uphill,

and her hands barely reach mine

as we encircle the trunk,

almost eleven feet around.

Back to the lumber tables.

That one tree might make

three thousand feet of boards

if our hearts could stand

the sound of its fall.

Poem copyright © 2007 by Russell Libby, whose most recent book is “Balance: A Late Pastoral,” Blackberry Press, 2007. Reprinted from “HeartLodge,” Vol. III, Summer 2007, by permission of Russell Libby.

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Poet Russell Libby

POET’S REGION U.S., New England

Subjects Living, Disappointment & Failure, Relationships, Men & Women, Nature, Trees & Flowers

Poetic Terms Free Verse

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Biography

Russell Libby earned a BA in economics from Bowdoin College and an MA in resource economics from the University of Maine. He is the author of the poetry collection Balance: A Late Pastoral (2007).

Libby lives on Three Sisters Farm in central Maine with his family. A longtime research director at the Maine Department of Agriculture, he has also been a board member and executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and . . .

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