1
ruby-throated hummingbird
fresh from the jewelweed
hangs in front of my mouth
like an unhoused question
I spread my fingers wide
skin wrinkles like old bark
2
I grew up climbing trees
hugging the trunks for dear life
or digging for treasure
at the old farm dump
that green- or purple-stained glass
that once held whiskey
3
buzzing from one bright
flame to the next
what rain-soaked radiance
precedes a fall
and where might petals unfurl
if we ever woke up