Root Glacial Under Arms

​

Abigail Chabitnoy

​

 

Skip to the end      sound the sides

splitting

                             walls give way to stones

for crossing

 

She took a rock from each last place she had been

smoothed mud     her palm

other seeds

                          for beginning

 

At 3 meters per day how long will it take

to reach the beach      or the women

rise tide

                             touch gray, watch

 

the hard lines give

 

(glacial isn’t such a slow pace after all—)

 

                                                              Ugnerkami miskiiRiat amleritaartut.*

 

                                                                                             Even spiders

                                                                      skip stones into the melting

                                                                                         even at the end

 

                                                                                     the thread undoes

 

And when the beds dried the green had lost

its lust                           and the mauve was merely

brown. Sea change: gray the water

 

                                                     and gaping, refuse of

                                                     extraction      (our. last/

                                                                                not last)

 

We must assume they observe

what we are doing—

 

Signs were missed. what did you think was breaking

 

in the caves        cavities

                              collecting sound/

memories—

 

Weave the summer blades

water tight

​

We begin each time

                                                                                                 with a flood.

​

 

_____________

* In the spring there are many spiders.