Maria Bennett

wasf for the loved one
your eyes like half-filled wells
without them I cannot see my body
your mouth a compass
without which I cannnot navigate this delirium
your arms thick as fir branches
bearing me aloft
without them I would be so close to the ground
your legs open harbors
weighing my balance
without them I could not circle you
in this dance of remembering


finding my religion
i worship
this place
in the crook
of your neck

my fingers
tithe
to the blue
of your eyes

i whisper hosannas
into the seashell
of your ear
on the prayerbook open
to your longing

New Jersey