Clara’s Book: A Poem

This poem, exploring the human body spiritually intertwined with plant bodies, first appeared in Boog City Issue 89.

Clara’s Book

this (that) came into me by way of God
you (God) delved straight in and
God (she) took hold, made me hurt
made me (him) shuffle our way of looking
to take that (this) into me (her)
an extreme of chamomile or vitamin C
cinnamon, an extreme of mint
I (God) once touched the leaves of a mimosa
it (he) snapped together like a mouth
held his (her) breath then
relaxed into its (God’s) fern
so tiny, these leaves, I (it) thought
it’s not hard to understand why
she (you) would be so scared of God (him)
easier to see how (when) he (it) does
not protect you, mimosa
burn when I (you) squat, burning sage
loosen when you (I) bleed, roasting rosemary
footsteps all around me

(listen: first doorway then run the cave) this passage that the gift is equal to
God’s hand over your belly over the earth

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Boog City is a community newspaper based in and around New York City’s East Village.