Nesting Doll
she can see the growth rings
of the felled linden
behind the septic
concentric on the face
of the darkening lake
fish snatching bait
glass rings
like overlapping ohms
in evening’s class
unraveling the Russian doll
nested in her chest
breath paring layers
grandmother mother
mother into daughter
the center
a seed doll
lathed from linden
baby due July
embryonic
asana
back at home
onion peeled
grub removed
fish fried
pregnant for the third time
growth rings
of her face
showing earlywood
latewood
drought and fire scar
a toddler
clung to thigh
jabbering
ribbed dog
slobbering
husband strumming
tonewood
by water’s edge
melancholic over
the face of the lake
grandfather fishing
in tobacco cloud
hook without bait
cooler bare
memory pared
linden sapling
in memoriam
61 years gathering girth
the deep shades
of grief
stumped
now a map
to read
from center outward
and outward back
like too-soon contractions
in spring
every stone gathered
dropped heavy
in her pocket
remembered later
and flung across
the lake
seed doll sinking
glass rings
hatchet swinging
growth rings
behind the septic
concentric on the face
of the darkening lake