accumulating

as i prepare myself

for the wonderful inevitability of teaching

in

australia

this march,

i'm spinning and weaving and dyeing and

writing

and getting this brain

(so often addled by teenaged emotional turmoil

 and the fallout

present in public school)

i return to my heart work

and of course, keep reading.

 how in photographs these things look like the skin

that paper makes

flax and milkweed, for example,

to work on,

to wear for protection.

 and walking slows this mind down

to consider these things

 to see

 up close how beautiful these skins are

here, the blue skin of atmosphere

the red skin of berry

the hidden sinews

of milkweed

twined into threads to weave 

weave a skin to keep warm and safe.