prayer
like
sparks.

a life incredible, vivid, excellent.
prayer
like
sparks.
in spring the purslane
pops up underfoot
in winter the cold
corrugates the soul, crumpling
it up like paper
there is a time to keep,
and a time to throw away:
theatre programs
ticket stubs
dead plants
math tests
in a shoebox somewhere in the closet
are the little paper houses
my glamorous great-aunt
gave my grandma for Christmas
despite my best intentions
how quickly i forget You
don’t liken a lichen
to a room like a kitchen
unless stonehenge is a mere pile of stones
i was trying to proceed sensibly
to live logically
to hold tight to what is
good and real
in frozen january
i catch myself
longing for spring
every year at Christmas
my grandfather’s sister
sends him a box of oranges
from Florida — sometimes
grapefruits, too, which he
prepares for us of a morning
with an expert hand