This Fallen Tree
This fallen tree I lie beside,
through winter long.
Behind me stands its unspoken vow,
silent to any
who might do harm.
My swollen left arm beneath my side,
warm paralysis, deep and dreamful,
painful when I wake.
Silent to any
who might do harm.
In the snowy woods,
use what you’ve learned.
Survive the turn
of season—
if you can’t,
what good are you at that?
