the arithmetic of care

near the rock river
wisconsin
in bloom
the year’s second full moon

a beautiful dutiful thief
just saying it comes as a relief
no longer
keeping it
to myself

and sharing the wealth
the health
the words
with birds
you couldn’t call it anything else

these are the ones
that woke me up
that made me
love
forgot what it is about heaven

turning over every leaf
to find they are the same
what was
your name?
to finally place the blame

in

brazil it isn’t summer
clandestine behavior
to taste
the sweet sunshine
cold and clear or warm and bright

joyride got to have
summer twice

before she took
some bad advice
spilling slowly into night

she took the time
to take a chance
before the fall
broke both her hands
put the idea back in a can

that came from eyes
and minds hearts in the air
from scorn
and stares
golden waves of golden hair

not sure i was
supposed to be complete
not even
sure about
supposed to be

to those that would
be thieves
and
everyone is
the wood made a good effort

to
hold back the water
feel like it ought to
come back
to the old kind of
trust

Profile: Letson Wiliams