a husky playing in the snow
his fur collects small crystal balls
his face a smile, his eyes aglow
his spirit howls with wolves – he calls

to falcons soaring on the jet stream
to pine shards glowing yellow-green
to snowflakes falling through a sunbeam
to ice quails preening to a sheen 

I hear him howl that wild old song
and I decide to sing along.

The sweetest sound is insects singing
No other hymn hums so continued
Young crickets chatter, wings a-flinging
No breath, free chitin, all unsinewed
Rhythms, clicks, anticipations
Legs create the shell vibrations
Body singers thrum the night
From every angle, out of sight

I walk by a pool of water
the sun filtering yellow through
the water skippers dancing
the sky a heated blue.

The algae air clings clothing
the sweat runs down my chest
I walk by a pool of water
but I cannot find rest.

I cannot see my iris
in the glassy surface edge
I cannot see my face or hair
or the beads hung on the hedge

I do not know my reason
I do not know the birds
that sing on heavy branches
I do not know their words.

All humans are so tiny
such an interlocking mesh
how many hands it took to build
how many pounds of flesh

No one walks beside me
No one across the lake
No one across the ocean
Am I here by mistake?

The grass is filled with tick shells
the mud smells like a sewer
I cannot see my reflection
Or the clouds upon my skewer

I sit on a rotting tree stump
And stare out at the water
A mosquito welts my arm skin
I am truly nature’s daughter.