The trees gaze at me with the tips of their leaves
So my legs can carry me with confidence
In their presence,
But my head— how is it that it grieves
That it cannot bring itself to experience
What it experiences?

Wild sage— I breathe in the smell of its glory
Blueberries— I pick them and they paint my hands;
I taste their sour sweetness
If I were alone, it would be a different story:
I would bask in the company of the gods
Without the demand for swiftness

So I pretend I feel how the grass is alive
"I feel the rays, I feel the water, I am alive myself,
Blessed as I'd always been"
I pretend that since I'm in nature, I am here to thrive,
But they never tire when I tire, they are a reminder
That I'm forever to be seen

Their faces are...