We survive the worst

The devils darning needle

makes cranes of thought

slipping embers burning retorts

gathered like horny kindling

against regrets better half

oh how we smart

knowing twenty paces too late

our writhing gut did not mis-speak

she was the last woman of the lake

her chalked arms pulling our desist

down with the wormy witch into the abyss

there …

among weeds and lost gloves

find yourself trussed

you are the one supping on river mud

drawing the short straw with wings of flour

long is the pain

longer than searching in blind water

for rusted keys

open up

my sodden daughter

pull me out

we dry together over story time

yours has a twist

mine retains humor

laughing at the end of the world

orange the color of final plumage

somehow resurrection feels painless

scissors without the slice

lay out the fabric of your design

I’ll cut you a shape befitting our vintage

mine is copper without reflection

drink it down in one lament

through it all I never lost

the feeling of your iris fingers in my hand

now we are recasting our nets

the water is known, no depth can drown

pain shows us we survive the worst

stronger for our watery crown

what of the marked woman who lives beneath scorn?

she is with child

she is your wife

she lays the table

you pick up your knife

two from one

divides and multiplies

once she was running scared

now she flies

through needles fine blue eye

threading the world