When We Go

we
start
small, with
walks around the
perimeter and
we get a feel for the art of
stewardship magic, flora in our steading breathing
in gales of ozone storm breath and salt sea breath, whispering out cool velvet oxygen
we raise a cairn together, next to fairy forts at the cliff, whose chalky body gleams
in the dying dusklight, waiting for the dawn when the
coracle comes and we’ll find at
the beach ambergris,
hopefully,
before
we
sail.
and
come
come back
back westward
home for the stark night
travels done, dandelions picked
and placed between paper leaves, sort of a live grimoire
set in the shelf and half burnt logs poked in the cobblestone fireplace, coaxing the fire
we breathe in a spurt of choking ash breath heaving up the chimney and we start to talk
again over muddy tea, the fight forgotten
and when we pad over to bed
hopefully darling
our hot wet
faces will
be
dry.

Artwork by Yoshiki Hase