as bruised fruit
i
ether its either its (widening gyre)
pulled back and forth and there again
(she wrote us into the garden)
by its tapping it knew us. pin-pricked birds
judging themselves for the pile
it could have spun all night i could’ve (spelled)
(typed strong and pure)
as if as in– and there she
jesus wept
caught between the tinpan and the wind
ii
typed by degrees. clack of pen on ink
letters liquid met. underbraided
its catch its girl its tiny clicking claws
under noon and where the child in the garden
turquoise alabaster emeryboards. worn smooth
(esther)
(coming noon) esther
she watched the doctor’s
dry dry
so
iii
a doll’s hard proof you might at last be me
juggled in braids and plastic lids
as a bee might enter a sandal
baking soda fingers
noon hour spackle
her forward her backward
colt a cut a cult
chigger cheater aswamp aswap
collate her finer pages
iv
injury as to fish
bird’s eye view and narrowly
i am much in need of
(injury)
as e– as the letter e–
scintillating passages. a child needing a fish; as in,
her cap just happened to
esther took to breaking
take five a day unless
i otherwise mention
injure as in story
—Laura Walker