Requiem Daughter
2023
I tried for a whole summer
To cry every morning,
To water the clover
Underneath my feet,
Because I love clover,
And because my heels
Were cracked from
All summers prior,
And because my love is common,
And ready,
I let my self
Melt and drip
Onto the oak in my backyard,
Which is really my neighbor’s backyard,
Because my dog
Loves her daughters,
And because they wouldn’t have
Allowed any fence
Between them, anyways,
And once I asked her,
The younger daughter,
If she would be a dog,
Instead of a person, if she could choose.
And she looked at me,
Her dark hair pasted
To her forehead
With pollen and sweat,
Stern in her eyes,
Cupped her hands under
My chin so my summer tears would
Rain onto her palms,
Which are really her seeds,
And smeared it all to
The souls of her feet,
Stood, and walked
Past our beloved
Shared oak,
Back to her mother.
