Wisteria falls
in lavender drops
from its feathery
treetop canopy.
The world stills –
quiet
but for the patter
of fragrant petals
on my upturned face.
Place your fingers here
in the hollow of my throat.
Do you feel the rumble
low and deep?
Hold still,
a moment more.
Can you sense it swelling,
gaining strength and clarity
as it struggles toward the surface?
Soon or late,
it will be born.
You cannot say
you were never warned.
despair
stains the floor
everywhere
her bare feet
meet the polished wood,
slowly seeping
colorless
toward the walls.
each breath expelled
smells hot
of anguish
aged and ripe.
shards of flashing
sharp and light
slice the air
around her,
entice
with glittering
promise
of pain.
do not be drawn
into her eyes.
do not mistake
that hollow depth
for need.
there is nothing
here
for you.