Moon for Our Daughters

Moon that is linking our daughters’
Choices, and still more beginnings,
Threaded alive with our shadows,

These are our bodies’ own voices,
Powers of each of our bodies,
Threading, unbroken, begetting

Flowers from each of our bodies.
These are our spiraling borders
Carrying on your beginnings,

Chaining through shadows to daughters,
Moving beyond our beginnings,
Moon of our daughters, and mothers.

Landing Under Water, I See Roots

All the things we hide in water
hoping we won't see them go—
(forests growing under water
press against the ones we know)—

and they might have gone on growing
and they might now breathe above
everything I speak of sowing
(everything I try to love).

Gulf War and Child: A Curse

He is sleeping, his fingers curled,
his belly pooled open, his legs gathered, still
in their bent blossom victory.

I couldn't speak of "war" (though we all do),
if I were still the woman who gave birth
to you soft-footed, with your empty hand
and calling heart, that border of new clues.

May the hard birth our two heartbeats unfurled
for two nights that lasted as long as this war
make all sands rage, until the mouth of war
drops its cup, this bleeding gift we poured.

Love in the Morning

Morning’s a new bird
stirring against me
out of a quiet nest,
coming to flight—

quick-changing,
slow-nodding,
breath-filling body,

life-holding,
waiting,
clean as clear water,

warmth-given,
fire-driven
kindling companion,

mystery and mountain,
dark-rooted,
earth-anchored.

Related Poems

The Descent of Alette ["Presently"]

"Presently" "we neared a pale beach," "narrow" "with trees behind it"
"thick & blue-black," "& lights" "many lights" "deep inside the"
"wooded land" "I touched bottom" "& walked ashore" "Then I saw"
"a final entity," "airy image, pass" "out of my body—" "from my

forehead" "A small shape," "perhaps brain-shaped," "that seemed to"
"contain in miniature" "the cave network" "where I had been"
"I saw the rooms—" "the caverns—" "streaked with color," "dotted with
lights," "but all tiny" "as in a honeycomb" "The image" "receded,"

"gently floated" "away" "on the wind," "like a flower" "a hibiscus—"
"all reds & darks" "& yellow glow—" "Or like a lantern," "paper
lantern" "Then was gone." "The others" "other swimmers" "had not
walked ashore" "with me" "I turned to find them" "I thought they

must be" "still floating" "in the water" "But they had vanished,"
"I was alone" "Myself &" "alone" "Yet emptied" "of much, it seemed"
"I felt unburdened" "& even buoyant"