ODE

Venus has nothing on you,

your soul a planet in itself

in orbit

a nude instrument

your hands,

pulsing with the rhythm

of a swarm of bees

yellow and sticky

honey and sweat

sprinkled with dew

the early morning Serengeti

dry and cool

cracking tan grass snaps

beneath your feet

smooth and carved

wrapping wind silk sheet

white sunrise

red hair

your eyes

are like wings

your breasts

sculpted moons,

heartbeats,

melting icebergs

flowing rivers

tracing the contours of your clay

forming canyons

winding down

into the jungle.

You are the Amazon.

You are the Nile.

Europa

your glass back

molded to the shape

of an abstract idea

a piece of wax

a shadow on a cave wall

the flickering of a fire,

flames flapping,

licking lips,

wet skin

black sky

You are unconfined as a cloud,

predetermined as a painting,

still as a leaf.

There is an entire universe in you.

You are my garden.

You are my Egypt.

And like a snowy owl,

you dive

into the sky.