– 55 –

All of Us Meet in a Tree

You've got a body,
not just any old body.
This one stands upright
and you can climb
ladders in it
feel the sun come into it.

These funny speckled
arms—watch them come and go!—
can reach through
leaves cool as earlobes
and pick cherries for you.

So many times you have
stood face to face, arms tough
as batons, nothing between you
but glass—
not long ago
when it was crouched
and starving
on the floor,

you turned your back
to walk
back home.

But all of us meet in a tree, in the end—
here you are, in shadows
like hands clapping
watching your arms
leaving
then coming back
with cherries
for you.