THE SERRATED SOUND OF A LEAF
The meaning of the thistle is
medicinal and irritating
Horridulum— has it done to you
half the pendulum, swung
undone to you
thistles woven bright on the mound
do loom do loom
dune luminous
trout lily, horse nettle—
sneeze wood voluminous
Magnolia breach bray
and magnolia broom
You, swept up go on
gathering horridulum
in magnolia bay—
trout hazel, witch lily lips
at mosquito meats
the ashy warm
Magnolia doom doom
luminous, a sound
doom doom
luminous, a sound.
POSSUMHAW
We flee
from the sound
of the word
for the woods
to the voice
of a barking tome
In the forest duff
lays a latin name,
broken at the -sium
writhing
above it in the air you hear
no-see-ums singing
cera-topo-goni-dae
It’s by sound
we gather
like a wood-
grained tooth
cutting leather
from the tanned
animalias
Trying to match
the bark of the word
to the bark
of the tree.