were there one branch stripped
of bark and blanked knobby and
naked i would not have eaten
of the tree. after. after? i
remember the reason being
my heart was all hard. any nest
could not have been pieced
but only appeared whole. this false
inviting to the rest of a
bird or squirrel's spring,
how could i merely look? i believe
i would have rested in its
roots and slept if the canopy
were not woven without seam.
