Lachryphagy

Earth and water, air and fire— 
My grandmother liked to anchor the lit 

end of her thin cigar in her mouth
as she sat on her haunches on the porch,

unblinking. When they were with child, none 
of the women in my family ate paint or clay

or crept along the walls at nignt. What remedy
did they find for the gnawing in their gut?

Some butterflies and even bees draw close 
to the eyes of larger animals so they can drink 

their tears. My mother's friend told her once: 
if you go to the sea, the salt will either 

scour you clean or turn you into a sieve 
through which water will never stop pouring.