18 February 2008 | Vol. 7, No. 4

Gacela of Unforgotten Love

by J. P. DANCING BEAR

If anyone asks: did you ever love? Say that

a moth was born from leaves and landed

on your tongue, like fingers plucking the harp strings.

And though it was not pronounced

you knew that an angelic form had come

with dusty wings. It delivered words

that you did not know could be spoken.

And then say: that a coyote yelped

from under a straw moon and added something

that the light had missed—a meaning deeper

than what we normally allow ourselves;