the beetle’s ordination

conferred the patientest spelling of this season:

the chorister waves her bone.

***

combing leaves from her ringlets—

three birds plumb the sky

a squirrel and his nut climb the stile

***

remoter amphritite’s whim—

her blanched mien seamless, bleak

against a smoky sky

we clamor to split before her

***

hammers blank leaden blows—

pebbles and acorns fly—

we joggle seasons together.

***

broken spectacles

branches barred against the sky

rock, sky, branch slumbereth


—Lara Candland

Return to Archive