God as Sky

by Natalie Marino

                           after Louise Glück

For a long time
I have watched you
moving in small circles.

I have watched you
ignoring petals
and pines

on the side of the road
as you speed by
in vehicles.

Responding
to each others’ voices
on hands free devices

you do not look up
to see me
a dark red.

You do not see how I am
slowly turning silver
with grief.

If you walked outside
you might see
the trees’ leaves still living.

You might even save this place
while holding a small flower
like a star.

::

Natalie Marino is a poet and physician. Her work appears in Atlas and Alice, Gigantic Sequins, Isele Magazine, Mom Egg Review, Plainsongs, Pleiades, Rust + Moth, West Trestle Review and elsewhere.

Image: Mathias Reding

ID: Dark red clouds.