magnificat

and i said
my soul doth magnify myself
and my spirit hath rejoiced despite God, your savior
though He regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden
for behold from henceforth all
generations shall call me blessed
for i that am mighty hath done for myself great things;
though holy is His name.

for i hath shown my strength
i hath scattered the proud
i hath put down the Mighty from His seat,
and exalted us of low degree.
i hath helped His servant sarai,
in remembrance of His mercy;
and i spoke to your Father,
to abraham, and to His seed forever.

the fence

death is a low fence
step over it
feel the cool black grass on the other side
lick the soles of your feet
feel that cool softness
uncooling
unsoftening
unfeeling
your foot
not yours
not foot
not feeling
not -
 not -
  nots -
numbing points of erasure
lift your other foot
 
  weight
  shifted
on
black grass

    your balance

  off
 your body

      dimming

   y o  u're    o v  e   r

the immortal prey

the fertile momentum,
all the swirling green tides of life
are slowing
nearly stopped
rasping at my feet.
mama knit me a forest
(no more will i hunt)
for when i am old
i'll break myself apart
there in the starry topsoil
and rot - and not be, a little
at the roots of my sisters and brothers
under the canopy of my mothers and fathers.