love songs (untitled)

Poetry | Nathaniel Chew

a tract of forced rhubarb

homed in the dark will tear

itself tall lurch upward so

sharp you hear the crackle

of cell division crepuscular

miracle of static and stretch

stretching until you are beside

yourself backlit pitch middle ear

cleft to the first words of bark

susurrus as synonym

for the slippage

of heels over grass wet

inches like kissing

on the solstice like

schism only to restitch

sole to blade to print

this holeful hope in green

this

distance

whispered

from rift to light

today's forecast

mad em dash

of atmosphere to earth

slenderest gap between

thundercracks catching

out the fraction of second

every wish of ocean touches

branch slash pane slash

asphalt held half breaths

commas out in the wash

cricked into some pocket

of night a frog coaxes secrets

from the heart in her throat

bless the cornhusked air bless

the curried dusk bless this roughshod

voice itself may every echo you find

be home be harmony enough