Siltwork
from Tender Fissures, page 20
ISBN 1-931002-39-8
Petaluma, 2005
$8.95
Watching:
Fissured stems erupt from fragile patches
of quilted earth, soft to the touch;
riverbeds hoist fractured stems
an arietta of grace leaning skyward.
The first Noel is a serenade of flowering palms
a strain of bird’s wings spreading
over an ink-jet sky, sprained silk
unfurling its clustered wound;
soil unburdened with form
reveals silken weeds
that have glossed over
the joy of growth.
A motif of intersecting lines
symmetry whose equilibrium
is matched only by the cleaved
demands of certainty.