She hides among the poppy seed
Sweet brown eyes growing yellow-red
Roots emerging sickly-soft
And ears remembering my rasp -
Rasp she wanted?

She spreads her petals for me
And I see all I wanted
Red coat shed on sunsets of
Pretty skin
So pretty.

She washes with the wind
Eating sunflakes
I don't look at
The black spot on the poppy

Because she's a bloom
Who had stains I never thought of asking for.
Who asks a stencilled crushberry sky
What it will want when it leaves?

When the moon comes up
I feel the old blissful cold
She won't warm me, but
Poppy's make poor blankets anyway

Freckles speckle nothing anymore
And red has fallen silent
I regard the stars she left me
And paint my canvas new.