in another life I am

tender leather,

is someone cryin’ on the other side, mama? she says

but then I am

a curling ocean wave, covering pearls and

shark’s teeth

I am hope

soft bird feathers in a nest with

yarn and silk covered

birch bark

tears melting sand to a pool of

murky moats and a

toothpick drawbridge

tight strings stretched over the neck of a

violin,

horse hair gathered on a

bow, a song

a slow pull.

a quick dance.

is your bed made?

is your sweater on? did you remember to

brush your hair?

in another life, I am

a hair dresser

I have three girls

close in age

I am chained hands raised in

worship

there are four seats around a table

each holds a quilted cushion

each cushion tells a story

of the last few days in summer when the nights are

cold and we put on our wool socks

with a beer in our hands in the

garden

sharing bar food and

looking forward to the

forward motion

movement

rocking, mama, rock me

back and forth

back and forth

I weave you in the thread of my hands

you are the warp, I am the weft, or is it

that I am still while you wrap your

baby fine hair around my

bones

you are the river in a paper cup,

I dreamt I had bought you a map,

a map for my heart wandering free

outside of my body

with pride comes sorrow

with pride, comes sorrow.