Breakable



                                   such a hard word bird is

and harder glister of pebbles
brittleness of bone

leaves are brittle         in winter or torn
needles or
where we can find them bark
of walnut silvered over                                    figure for moon's light
as in the story            the one
with seven daughters and the old
soldier and the nightly mystery
of the worn-out pairs
of shoes                                                           holed / de-soled

a word for break is shatter
a chandelier                                                     crack & clatter
laughter

when Hamlet heard the queen
his mother had wed his uncle
his father's slayer his laughter
rang in the hallways of the house
and a chandelier shattered                                its been known

brittleness of bone a wing
folded
or torn

nightly the soldier followed                     a magic potion rendered him
snapping-off twigs to mark the trees                 invisible
to mark the way

and the girls they ran                                          their laughter rang
ahead of him in such light
shoes on such light feet
they seemed to rise up

                                   like birds such hard words