woodland lamentations

a disappearing virtual poetry (micro)chapbook

by Dani Shoemaker

drought

in all the lake there is

no lake and only

fish on the dirt

looking up at an ocean

waiting for rapture

perennials

bare with

drying flesh

bear the

snow-weight

for the sun

will return

mothering

life, predetermined

a mayfly

laying eggs and

drowning—

larvae gorging

on mother-decay

river flow

creeks widen

to rip currents

what has walked

will be carried

let strong hands

pull you under

bear’s prayer

come,

soft rain–

remove this

smell of fear;

wash the blood

from this ground

absolve my hunger

antlers

after dinner

we divide bones

maybe everything

beautiful is made

for a wolf pup

to gnaw on

rest stop

urban blueberry fields

where animals eat

but birds continue

sweetness gives

no limbs for rest

lake stones

traveling

always tumbling

edges softening

complexion rounding

grinding down

lost at sea

Image of Dani Shoemaker

BIO: Dani is, at times, more afraid of animals than they are of her. You can find a collection of her works at https://linktr.ee/danishoemaker.