THE TRUE COLOR OF THE SEA

1.

sages’ gardens, ginger root, and siren
glow of mist, green tongues of light
smoke and portents arousing hungers
magnolia-plumed gold moonstone heart
collecting rain in turtleshell hollows
of shoals and shelter, of stones that sing
of coral, of wine, of luminous unnamed

2.

cinnamon groves, veil of monsoon
moonless midnight’s milky stars
the finest gold dust, tinder, mirror
of angels’ tears, of devils’ blood
of cooing doves, a child’s fine bones
of sugarcane, and fistfuls of salt
of silk brocade, of laughter, of waiting