The Woman And The Flame

A bit of light that descends the springhead of a gaze

twin shadow of the eyelash and the rainbow on a face

and round about

who goes there angelically

ambling

Woman the current weather

the current weather matters little to me

my life is always ahead of a hurricane

you are the morning that swoops down on the lamp a night stone

between its teeth

you are the passage of seabirds as well

you who are the wind through the salty ipomeas of consciousness

insinuating yourself from another world

Woman

you are a dragon whose lovely color is dispersed and darkens so

as to constitute the

inevitable tenor of things

I am used to brush fires

I am used to ashen bush rats and the bronze ibis of the flame

Woman binder of the foresail gorgeous ghost

helmet of algae of eucalyptus

dawn isn’t it

and in the abandon of the ribbands

very savory swimmer

2011. Translated by Clayton Eshleman