after our red leash
became frantic

unsure of what grip
the wilderness had

or which eyeline
to focus on

oh aquamarine jewels
oh black-silk storks

name the artist
who decided traffic

was a logjam
in their brain

all you must do
(golden hour brown

on the frizz
of your hair)

is unclench
your fist

and follow
the leopard

(originally published in EAP: The Magazine, Fall 2023)