See here little faltering one
that radio song is for you a top ten hit
ten years ago and the car gently nudges
the house where air circulation
is bad you can’t breathe correctly
not getting the sap under your nails
is a shame this earth can bear almonds
can’t you stand a little straighter
even though the limelight not meant for you
looks luscious on skin whose is it
two bodies converging when does it happen
when the taste of salt sticks for days
you grow old the kite at its peak
can drift for hours if the wind is right—
Reprinted from The Waiting, published by the University of Iowa Press.