March 22, 2011

the winking heart

For a moment, I thought the muscle had relaxed, lay flaccid
against my bed pillows, consenting to this new embrace.
My lips puckered open. The rain was coming down hard,
wiping the street free and spring was upon us, of course –
that would have been reason enough to say yes to the clean slate
of whatever this was. But the drama on the skylights jolted
everything inside of me, and I felt how quickly my heart
rose from its horizontal idleness, gathered its boots, and bolted
out the door. It knew the risk, returning – the house quiet and alone.
But what can I say? I am more river than rest, more flesh than bone.