verdigris

pickled and peppered
with whiskey and fear
mortified yet fortified
verdigris eyes
against copper skies
ocher hued outer shell
parched and cracked
yet creased with smiles
marshmallow down atop
in wispy waves ablaze
in the vermilion and bronze
as the sun brushes its teeth
and pulls down the covers
for campfire songs
in harmony with ghostly howls
of coyotes in the gully