Cradlesong

Under your palm Arrow's lake stamps beside your name thumb 'cross the lines test its weight and you begin to rise levitate its enough to lay beside remain awake Perfume rises and lingers from the lines pulls her curls across your eyes pacifies and replaces the hollow that she makes when she's worlds away Hunched over now reciprocate a garland made in autumn shapes her hazel eyes new to taste swallowing the rhyme shiver shake notion crystallized kiss contained buttoned down inside my blue ink Turning over each phrase in your lidded eyes heavy on the midnight hour write a way ever further down inside her name but she's worlds away It means so much to try though it's bitter every time in the violence of the wait crawling cross the page to the desolation gate and the persimmon tree oh bird I've never seen return her on your speckled wing to me return her back to me