for Mark Yakich
I.
I sat
still so a spider
spun from my toe.
This wasn’t a pastoral
gesture but a call
to magnetism.
Like a pigeon’s beak
or brain.
II.
In another life
I was
a human shield.
In another life
I was
worth it.
In another life
I was
short enough for an afghan.
III.
It’s a good enough idea for now.