hole in the sky

it was the rose
who saw
beyond my shoulder

look
there is a hole in the sky

it opened
while the last of my petals
held on
reached out farther, farther into space
and then dropped

the bees, of course
have had their way
with my
velvet lining

this perfect form
that you came here
to gaze into

as if I were
a mirror
of what the sky must be
if you could enter

creature of breath,
you must see
we are forever in motion
under that mouth in the sky

we catch fire
like tassels of corn

burning down
into soft filaments of brown
covering
cream-colored pearls

you
strange creature of breath
said the rose

you always hold your wings
together

while we unwrap ourselves
under a sky
full of seeds