- — For Thao
You kick your legs in sleep,
and I think of rabbits.
I whisper run, run, I’ll catch you,
break my teeth with holding.
I recite your scent:
venison, woodsmoke, flour
lilac, ground water,
so I can follow in forests of sleep.
I promise to lock my jaw
and never let go. In bed,
you will pull me closer,
preparing for winter.
Now, your tracks are filling in
with snow, and though I can’t see,
I taste you on the trees.