astonished by waves
turquoise beyond turquoise—
even astonishment deepens
*
never reaching
the destination they say—
but perhaps this is closer
*
in the passion flower
an enormous dark bumble bee—
smelling lemon flowers instead
*
from how far away
is it swelling even now—
the next wave
*
carrying disappointment
down to the beach—
this, too, goes on the altar
*
amidst palm fronds,
exotic fruits, red hibiscus—
my shoes still size 9
*
with snorkel and mask
the same world seen richer—
so, too, with poems
*
coral reef—
all my ideas of what is possible
swim off
*
before I loved you
there was a world—
wasn’t there a world?
*
after the tsunami
didn’t happen
a rising interest in geology
*
the ship can always slip
into the unpredictable sea—
your hand in my hand
*
scent of plumeria—
how many other surprise sweetnesses
yet to discover
*
holding my breath
beneath the waves just to feel
the rising urge to live
*
watching the white heron
something in me
grows wings
*
not one to knock
the morning dove delivers song
through the open window
*
surrounded by coconuts
I dream of eating
a cherry
*
wish that pickpocket
had taken this, too—
sense that something’s missing
*
beside the new dress
the threadbare dress—
choosing it again
*
dinosaurs, too,
heard this at sunset—
wind in the palm leaves
*
many times a day
I smooth your hair already
perfectly in place
*
billions of white shells—
falling in love
with their differences
*
staring in the mirror
someone else’s face
laughing back