burrowing toward center
in the darkness,
the smell of jade-green forest
and sunset, the smell
even of a sun-warmed feather
a bird dropped
in exploding
cacophonous
from a treetop
the swirl of wings
the sky's metonym
and the choked stomach
of the earth
and the water flowed
like diamonds.
this was the blood in the vein.
i looked up
and i said your word.