Artichokes
In the morning she woke, body a sun-baked stone Only her lips alive. Light streamed through the window Touching her body, dissolving its white dust To gold Wise in half sleep, wandering the strange rooms She saw the artichokes waiting Like reptiles in their orange bowl. In the evening they ate them, him and her, At the unfamiliar table. Hard grey leaves fell away to pink and lilac petals, Transparent, tasting of clover Peeling quickly to the tender heart Whose discovery made her shy And curious to discover the cause Of this secret growth. After eating the heart, they drifted Around the house trying to settle their ghosts And speak to others, She saw the purple-green water, pooled on their plates, Turn lizard-grey Suggesting poisons Acts of sin And sleep coming down slow and heavy. In the morning he lay beside her stone body Made untouchable by claw-toed dreams She woke, one foot alive, and the Light streaming through the window Swept them to the river, Nerves gathered blood Under cold, cold water Streaming through her hair And colossal waterfalls fell in other places Poisons gathered like grief and left the river. One foot fell on hot stone, A lizard slipped through a crack of rock And in the cool, dark silence the star map opened.