River Tale

Moses Falls In Love

You nicked a vein when you stole my heart

from the basket in the rushes by the river where I waded

past my knees to my neck near the spot

where you keep a punt and mend frayed nets

with slender fingers, a smooth birch shuttle

darting like plovers in the pooled shade of a wide brimmed hat

broad-stroke dipping gull in edge on-profile,

lured in by the rough husk of your boots sprouting

tender knees, thin weave of your dress caked

along the fringe, surgeon’s hands, light heft of the blade,

my cradled pilfered heart, mere minute slip, a

dire blissful wound from which I’ll never recover.