KINGFRUITY

in the forest

Mist swathed forest
help me up
to that branch,
won’t you?
so we can survey
the nebulous kingdom
and play rulers
levy taxes
quash insurrection. 

Kick back
lie with leaves
these are deciduous
these are evergreen
everyone has jargon
even trees.

Did you see that?
a shooting star
it’s gone now.
Their tails are ice,
more ephemeral
than we are
we could see a thousand
and then a thousand more. 

Sun sets over head.
Suck up the last of the light
my branches, otherwise
you’ll have a hungry night.
Have you ever broken your arm?
No, I’ve never broken anything,
what’s it like?
Like this,
he snaps a branch grinningly
Did you cry?
Only when I was alone. 

Quiet,
help me down, let’s go back
before nighttime denizens
make shadows solid
before the trees
wake up and
start whispering about us.
They didn’t like it when
you broke the branch,
or when I took those leaves
hostage in my pocket.
Quiet, you’ll wake them up.
No, I won’t, listen
they’re snoring -
What’s your Mum making
for dinner?