Tangle

As your broad stemmed green shoots emerge
from the heather, slowly
eclipsing the rosemary and dandelion
rooted with azalea and blackberry intertwined, and your viburnum,
fuschia, and yucca crowd
the cedars, cherries, dogwoods, magnolias,
on whose feet
the climbing rose and English ivy tangle, hopelessly
thriving, I want

to know
when will I know enough to stand still with you, too still
to say your name?

Christianne Balk
cbalk@juno.com
Seattle, Washington
USA