Now, and: Coddled

102 Shall the volcano wait until vows come lobbing out of the couple’s mouth? Does duty dash forward from the hands being held lilting now over the Hawaiian wedding bowl? Love does a dove sifting across eternity to descend this shore, circles round fingers in a clutch of wet stems— on their shoulders heady blossoms scent their way home, the home their reservoir of stars. The island holds an island guitar, the strums make shores, the shore shuffles waves. Children, seize these replicating shapes, your parents welded hearts yielding Jordan, Oshun, Noah. Your eyes the size of souls. See the ceremony decree? Let the waves eat now. Lovers’ condensing their befores as belief unpacks the clouds. On the beach, on the last day of sadness, the emptied out pail centers in the shafts of sunset, the sunset riffing off the liquid-shifted horizon, a line assembling words, and words, promises discharging the door. KATHERINE FACTOR NOW For the Sorins 103 We are roasting an egg Whole in the fire. In preparation, We have harnessed the wind. We have zippered And unzippered the tent. We will give the fire urine For the logs to laugh As they happily burn. There will be owls. We will drizzle honey All over when opened. When broken open A bleached heart. A planet held in halves Will peel like fruit. The yolk a core Which had wanted to be opened. Which wanted the snake Of something more. If I eat, I will not have to think Of the dark mother Under our blue tent. KATHERINE FACTOR CODDLED ...