snared by the lantern light 

of sheer shoulderblade cut meadowgrass, the sour dew

on sorrel, the greasewood in

serpentine barrens, creamy

chamise that seeds after fire,

the scrub oak and knobcone,

the twisted trunk of manzanita,

radial symmetry of roughleaf

aster, astir, curving, comely 

hidden flower, at the amber 

hour, the milky moon already

risen, the horns of the bucks,

the horns of the owls, the hind

legs of the honeybee, the thrust

of scented gentians, the bare 

branch grasped at, heavy, 

sleek, forked, ropey, rugged,

a cool sip from the tin canteen,

the turn, the tug, the trigger,

the bigger the moon the better

I see where your shadows lie,

crevice, creek, channel trout, 

fly fisher, hewn log, smooth frog,

hound dog, bay laurel, quick zip,

pellucid trail of button's banana

slug, the slug from the jug, the 

jugular vein, the bristle on the

boar's back, the caught limb, 

him, me, heave, leaves, rustle

of the limbs of the walnut trees