SEA INCANTATION

Sages’ gardens, ginger root, siren
Glow of mist, jade tongues of light
Portents and smoke arousing hungers
Magnolia-plumed gold moonstone heart

 

Glow of mist, jade tongues of light
Collecting rain in turtleshell hollows
Magnolia-plumed gold moonstone heart
Shoals and shelter, stones that sing

 

Collecting rain in turtleshell hollows
Of coral, of wine, of luminous, unnamed
Souls and silted stones that singe
Of cinnamon groves’ veil of monsoon

 

Of coral, of wine, of luminous, unnamed
Moonless midnight’s milky stars
Cinnamon groves, veil of monsoon
The finest gold dust, tinder, mirror

 

Moonless midnight’s milky stare
Of angels’ tears and devils’ blood
A vein of gold dust, tender marrow
Cooing doves, a child’s fine bones

 

Angels tear and devils brood
Sugarcane, fistfuls of salt
My cooing dove, my child’s fine bones
A silk brocade of laughter, waiting

 

Sugarcane, a fitful assault
Pretense and smoke arousing anger
A silk blockade of laughter, weighting
Cages, cordons, ginger root silence