“Wrap the moth
in a white linen cloth,”
she said.
“Carry it to the water’s edge,
then set it free.”
I had no idea what she meant
or what those words might
possibly mean,
and unfamiliar with her ways
simply stared out
across the waves
as they rolled
rhythmically ashore.
She eyed me through the thinnest
of veils, waiting for me
to grasp the simple truth
of how we hold
all images close to our chest
until there’s nothing left
to breathe.
And stripped bare to the bone
I sat speechless
and alone
as moonlight bled
upon the silvered shores
of my dreams.
