The Old Holt-Tabardrey Mill

Author: Baskin Cooper

the Haw slides slow

past brick and bramble

moss threads the wheel spokes

a broken beam leans

like a weaver asleep at her frame

ghosts of yarn hum through stone

where the river once turned

rust clings to the sluice gate

a half-buried spool

still wound with the color of dusk

wildflowers push

through the loading dock’s seam

rain dances in tin pails

a slow drip echoes

along the ache of the metal roof

soft echoes gather

between the bent rafters

a tap of bobbins

the hush of shears

corduroy rising

in rows like winter wheat

evening folds over brick and vine

swallows stitch the rafters with sleep

shadows gather in emptied rooms

the old mill settles into silence

and the slow forgetting

Baskin Cooper is a poet and visual artist based in Chatham County, North Carolina. His work spans poetry, songwriting, sculpture, and screenwriting, blending visual, narrative, and musical elements. He holds a PhD in psychology and previously lived in Cork, Ireland—experiences that shape his explorations of folklore, lyricism, and personal history. His poems have appeared in Rattle, and his debut collection, The Space Between Branches, is currently seeking publication.