Poetry About Fences

Cedar boards count the distance between two yards. A loose nail shines where the children found a passage. One side calls it safety, the other calls it refusal. Vines ignore the surveyor and climb wherever light allows. At dusk, two neighbors speak above the paling. A boundary softens when a name is carried across.

A loose nail shines where the children found a passage. Every border reveals the fear that built it. Vines ignore the surveyor and climb wherever light allows. Even fences keeps more than one meaning in view. Even a gate must decide whether to open.

Cedar boards count the distance between two yards. Time carries the image beyond its first appearance. One side calls it safety, the other calls it refusal. At dusk, two neighbors speak above the paling. Even a gate must decide whether to open. A boundary softens when a name is carried across.