Disguised as a Man

DISGUISED AS A MAN

I slip
Down tall banks to catch the tiny
Fish, darting away in shallows
Scooping them up grinning.

Mud coats my sneakers, my pants
Broken and torn to my knees
Not afraid of dirt.
As if it protected me.

I take
The tall rose canes carefully
In my hands, feeling the velvet
Touch, and gentle, sweet fragrance
Trim and touch, trim and caress.

Fingers snarl at thorns tearing
Me, but know just where to trim
Cover and wash the insects away-
Creatures that would devoir the fresh
Greenness to brown.

When quiet
I know when the leaves quake and
The tiny insects scurry in the debris
I hear the trees resting
Snoring in the wind's breeze.

~Dave~
17 Dec 04

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