Worm and Gold Leaf
Nic Sebastian
a man bows deeply
to a coconut palm
before he climbs
to harvest it
a woman begs forgiveness
from a worm
your raft glides
through drowsing reed
on black water
your hand falls asleep
on the tiller
a monk approaches you
faceless in silhouette
sunlit mango groves
bright at his back
everything is painted
in gold leaf
but the gods
are resistant
a volcano wakes
a child walks alone
in the rice fields
to a coconut palm
before he climbs
to harvest it
a woman begs forgiveness
from a worm
your raft glides
through drowsing reed
on black water
your hand falls asleep
on the tiller
a monk approaches you
faceless in silhouette
sunlit mango groves
bright at his back
everything is painted
in gold leaf
but the gods
are resistant
a volcano wakes
a child walks alone
in the rice fields
Nic Sebastian is the author of Forever Will End On Thursday and Dark and Like A Web, both published under the poetry nanopress model with partner editors. She co-founded and curates The Poetry Storehouse, which showcases "great contemporary poems for creative remix." Nic blogs at Very Like A Whale, and her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Yew Journal, Valparaiso Poetry Review, Anti-, MiPOesias, Blue Fifth Review, Avatar Review and elsewhere.