Aerial, Wild Pine
A flare of russet,
green fronds, surprise
of flush against
the bare grey cypress
in winter woods.
Cardinal wild pine,
quill-leaf airplant
or dog-drink-water.
Spikes of bright bloom–
exotic plumage.
How they contour
against the trunk.
I miss that closeness
against my skin,
milky expression.
Before they latched,
their grief revealed
in such a flash.
Seekers of light,
poised acrobats.
Over the wetlands
a snail kite skims
tallgrass, then swoops
to scoop the apple
snail in curved bill.
The provenance
of names, of raptor
and prey, the beak,
like a trap door,
unhinging flesh.
The way two beings
create a space
for one another—
the bud to branch,
tongue against nipple.
Copyright © 2020 by Elise Paschen. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on April 6, 2020 by the Academy of American Poets.
“During this period of social distancing and staying home, I appreciate now, more than ever, each encounter with the natural world. I am grateful to remember the time last winter when I wrote this poem. We were visiting my aunt, who is in her nineties, down south, and took a hike through the wetlands. This poem is about the interrelationships in nature. It’s about how we connect with each other.”
—Elise Paschen
Elise Paschen
