Solemn Salt Kate Turned Back From Her Lot

for Katie

Apple of Sodom, Black Ash, Blue Ash, River-Red Ash,

Along Sand-brier, Brittlebush, near blue-of-the-heavens, two

Boxelders, bittercress from whiskey-cherry,

From blueberry cornel, colic weed, corydalis,

Devil’s Darning Needle deadnettling all the

Eye of dindle, silky dogwood every

Fast Fair-maid-of France frumpy at fast-time

Gone towards Feverbush, Feverfew, felonwood,

And this my hoss, my house, my hiss and fit,

My groundlike lichen fairy-moss,

O (yeah) gliding gloam, golden buttons, goldenglow, Golden Jerusalem,

How goose tongue, gutweed, I long, lonely Kate Kibler

My meandered mourning Name nice on/off proper parapet,

Quiet requite, right renovant sir Sam, to talk to tell us used useful verdant virgins

Walking wide whole xylophone yonder yellow zounds,

Hen bit, American white hellebore

I am hay-fever, hey fever! greater henbit and bent

Hemp my dogbane, herb barbara barbed so barbarous

To my naked soft-soled so-less-shod step

Sound and sibilant side the sting of bee-buzz

Bumbling dumb in memories made, melding

In the green garden golden of grass long so long long ago

So papa, dear papa, poor Cancer papa had walked with cherry cane popping

Snipping, sniffing Brown Daisy, Poorland Daisy, all the late, lengthy

So long led we afterdays lone, some lethargy

With his Brown-Eyed Susan, Mint Julep, me American White Kate, and his Cancer Jalap-- Father, mutable crab, Devil’s Hair, not me be-deviled.