AS IF I WERE ANYTHING BEFORE by Damian Rogers
Not all rocks
are alive. Or
so I’ve read.
Someone I love
is struggling, her thoughts
caught in a net.
Her face is full of grace,
her body evergreen,
her heart sharp
as the Canadian Shield.
I’m in Sudbury.
It’s snowing.
The pine trees looked lovely
as I drove
the treacherous roads.
I’m ill-equipped
for this. I sit
by a fake fireplace
that frames a true flame.
I have been crossed
by two crows today.
This tapestry depicts
the biggest bummer
of the new century.
She said you’re hurting
me. She said you’re
not a child.