Melissa Ginsburg, The Adder

May the pond be free

from its companion      pondwater

blackening.       the pond’s edges

 

slipping             as it does

to the sides     behind

below    a swimming      adder

 

May the air and the sky be excused

from one another          as a child

from a table       as a table

 

from its planes the          house from

its frame           Free

garden from dirt

 

garden

from sprouts waxing

white and long under layers

 

of mulch            Part spring from cold part

wood from grain part grain part monstrous

shout    Part splinter

 

from wood          splinter from flesh

Toss it in the fire

divorce fire

 

from its color its tremble and

its burn

Divorce:          does a door

 

need a wall to become itself

to separate

from to open to allow