she found me the other night

thought i could hide again
but it turns out
she tied some kind of twine to me
and she’s tracking me down even now
there’s a thrill of fear sometimes
there’s an overture of heart and lung
such that i cannot hear the more instant world
but i won’t run from those eyes
and when she catches me again
she’ll devour me so soft
i’ll grow right back again
like mint or
dandelion

and when i find her
she’s so big and small

one time i ran through the woods
the moon was blue
i tripped into a doe who stumbled forward as i fell back
her immensity was charming
her solidity surprising
and hard to remember once i caught her eyelashes
in the grey of moon and riverglow
once i saw her limbs
which seemed like wind
or newborn trees

i found her like that
seeming solid but made of dreams
she is
she’s made of dreams
she’s got them all in her veins
and her head’s all up in fantasy and smoke
and then she’s got these limbs
and these hands that can
build things like
houses and
landscapes
and how can it be
that she has so much more hope than me?
and what can i give her
this good soul?
with eyes like rivers all dash and shimmer
when i am only pavement dust and appetite
i am only ash and forgetfulness
i am only this young flesh and longing