wood burl in the sheath
of a pen. Parchment curl
and light brown outline
of leaves in the calamondin
that's put forth flowers
but not yet fruit. Fish-
scale that leaped, still
iridescent, from a body
in cleansing. Barber's
scissors with hair caught
in the teeth. Out in the yard,
only the chipped end of
a trowel as I dug in shallow
soil, covering the scat
of animals that came in
the night. Nylon guitar
strings, until the heat
one summer popped them
right off the fretboard.
Purveyors of fine poetry since 2003.
