:  when the nearest light is miles away yet 
                  and adorned on the night is a lightning bug
                                                                        as in a jarred cactus plant 
                                                      an open book without commas 

:  when the only thing you can touch is a plastic raft
                  and drenched between the hours is a cutting board
                                                                        as in a place for garlic 
                                                      and onions the face of early sky

:  when water undresses into tar sands
                  and to one long tune acacia trees dance some
                                                                        as in alder reach 
                                                      anything is worth the rain

:  when above more and more narrow miracles
                  and answers set to stone by a single hand
                                                                        as in a chorus of them
                                                      any shadow still means light

^{with lines from D. A. Powell}

We unyoke owl pellets from marrow 
in desert meadow. His mouth pigeon eye

a torch, womb turned flower. He, still a boy, 
dug from cactus skull. Undress into bark

beetles. He unlearns how to hold a fist 
with my hand. Bursts into dandelion 

seeds. We are all beautiful at least once. 
Mud water puddles along enamel. 

Eyeteeth blossom into osprey. Our bones
dampen like snow melt under squirrel grass. 

We could be boys together  finally
as milk vetch, tumbleweed, and sticker bush. 

We can be beautiful again  beneath
the sumac, yarrow, and bitter water.

I window words into a name
a light kiss on his chest 
                                                           I trace
                                                    the letter t        
                                         its seep whisper                          
                                   morning scatter                                         
                              mosquito grasses                                                     
                        curtained yucca                                         
             I snakeweed another name    
             collapse worn tongues into hymns
             memories against 
             pink lights against

             bone
             bone

             pink lights against
             memories against
             collapse worn tongues into hymns
             I snakeweed another name
                        curtained yucca
                               mosquito grasses                                                     
                                      morning scatter                                         
                                            its seep whisper                          
                                                        the letter t        
                                                               I trace
a light kiss on his chest
I window words into a name