tropical berries

The Wind

“you are perfection,”
says the wind

pulling my leaves into
a ragged knot

sometimes gently,
sometimes with a gust
that shakes my roots
from the ground

and where is my force
to push against you
should I want to

you made me tall and
whip-like
to bend, flatten, arch, and spring back
throwing my very top
from sky to sky

and what is my form
but you
rearranging my twigs
to more quietly
pass through

still a whisper
under the steely roar

“you are perfection,”
says the wind

peonies

Letter to Sammy

there’s a lot of love
in this letter

find it
it’s here in the paper

feel it
as you run your fingers
across the whiteness

rip into it with your fingernails
do the edges ravel

will it come apart
with water
sweat, or spit
the only things you have
left

does it taste like love
is there a scent
an essence

speak to it
tell it to melt, to bleed for you
it is only paper

trust me
there is love here
in this letter

one word
for every skipped beat
of your heart