If the Creek Don't Rise

by Leah Weiss

buck. I made it from a turkey feather, stiff and straight. Soaked it overnight in water and cut the tip at a slant. The ink comes from blackberry juice, vinegar, salt, and water. Been using

turkey quills and my own ink for sixty years.

chestnut wood cut into wide boards made cabins and furniture that

don’t rot. Chestnuts used to feed folks and four-legged critters with its carrot-tasting nut.

looked down the shade side on Shetland Holler. The shadows under goldenseal and pawpaw trees was blue-green, and red ginseng berries sat on top of the stumpy five-leaf plants.