i breathe her in,
sage, wildfire & smoke,
feeling the coolness
of the forest yet the heat
of a raging flame -
untamed, unswayable.
she sings the tragedies
of these woods with her
rosemary lips, taking flight
on my cheekbones,
buzzing like a bumblebee
then landing with a
faded echo on the tip of
my shoulder blade.
she moves mountains
through me.
everything she once
taught me, mapping out
escape exits, tracing the
origin of foreign sound,
the skills needed for survival,
all of it is
meaningless.
because i'll die here with her,
willingly,
no matter what trap
the wilderness sets for us.
i trace her name in the
forceful wind,
as the tree spirits
try to uproot their home,
