That’s what we want
for our children, isn’t
it? Shoulders that fit
like shoulder pads. Not
sloping gravel ones, the pieces
flying off. I need
to make everything small, so I can
see. Pennies
with dates stamped
because somehow that will
matter. Tips
of teeth.
Someone told me once
his biggest fear
is death. No,
I’m just kidding! It was
failure. Like it might
come out and eat
him. Like
the people on the street would somehow
know.
It’s springtime now. I’m watching hawks
during my meetings, holding cloud-
shade on their backs.
All the heart-
shaped arcs of bees
doing their work.