uairean a’ lasadh

the day / conjures a / forest / carves trees / from body’s absence / body of the mountains, body at the mercy of animal / the day / asks for feathering / asks for / a homing of pulse / begs palms / to gloam against the gully’s wanting / the day / dreams of slain selves / sailing / a landscape of / forgiven ducklings / furze worshiped by / river / ferried across the water’s altar / to reach you / & the day nurtures / a lineage of holding / mother’s plucking hemlock / from wombed wings / wounded wings / tucking hemlock / behind the ears of / Earth’s eternal listeners / the day is / breathing blue / salt / that must outlive her ocean / salt / that must christen / the dreamer’s eyelid / bow / when herons alight themselves / on the hour—

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Eartha Davis is a woman of Ngāpuhi heritage living on Wurundjeri land. Her work can be found in Wildness, Rabbit, Minarets, Baby Teeth Journal, and South Florida Poetry Journal, among others. She is currently working with Red Room Poetry on their POEM FOREST project.