by Marissa Bell Toffoli.
—Thank you to William Carlos Williams
Ahead is the bend on the trail,
a bed of matted dirt, dried branches,
the lookout shaded by tall trees.
Inhale, exhale. Again. Move forward.
Measure space between us with greater care—
what was once enough will not do now.
Day lets out a sigh before going dark.
The urgency of the world falls away,
looms in dusty shadows.
This, the first day of spring.
To shelter in place rearranges routines.
Now, the chatter all around reaching
for each other as we are pushed apart.
Listen. What will the world look like
when we emerge from this chrysalis?
Crowding the hillside, eucalyptus leaves
whisper in the breeze:
rush, rush, rush, hush hush.
Breathe deep. Awaken.
