In the gnawing of a boot through
crackling bulbs of ivory tooled
by grooves, how packed snowfall to sole
looses its tooth, lets dissolve bright

pathway to passage bitten by
step as if to soothe misconstrued
winters of breath embittered like
tears to stinging liquor by sighs

fermented, and as it went you
counted on my sundown’s ending
of our noontide swoon to disprove
any legend’s impossible

          use of this exile’s tailspin bruise
          into its blues to fill arsenals.

                    *

And in weaponizing our wound,
how above jeopardizing war’s
usefulness was your casual
attitude, when in my forthright

walking out toward nightlit
backdrops this tilt of my heel soon
turned from chill dissolved mist full of
moon a scene cratered fist-fought, fight

fated to flatter unsought views
with perspectives redirecting
latent desires waiting like blooms
to emerge fragrant and able

          as any illusion to do
          anything to loosen your hold.