220. Lessness

Lest & not
unless less

ginger for
a fingerwidth’s
breadth of
holding

& holding
your breath

waiting for
it to happen

the less of it

there are in the sky

birds
     birds birds
  birds birds
         birds birds
 birds birds birds
      birds birds
           birds birds
                         birds

that fall
like snow
flakes

    s
     s     s
  s     s
           s     s
   s     s     s
              s     s
                          s

snow is
the shadow
of the sun
so it doesn’t
show as black

Comes under snow
a warmth
or the snow soaks
it in and melts
into the earth
evaporates into
the air

for snow is
merely an earlier state
of disappearance

in that way
it resembles sleep
or apnea

breaks in pieces
and breaks in pieces again

first as solid flakes of snow
intricate tracery
skeleton of a fragile frozen
body of water and light
flowing through it

second
back to liquid
water seeping down
to disappear
from sight or breath
eventually too deep
for finger to pull it
out

Dark earth
full of ginger
and gingerroot
rooting paw of dog
can’t reach it

Dark earth
full of ginger
bright and sweet

filled with
snow water

and out of
sight