Maxine Chernoff

Token (1)
     for Donna,
     whose work is an inspiration

air's blade carved a space,
an encrypted journey, tethered,
a stringed body, whole,

as crisis deepened. water rallied,
tied to breath's strict map,
you had been falling,
an instrument of error:

you fell upwards into primacy,
as feathered cautions settled,
as you said "spent,"
as ice relinquished silouettes
through wormholes of desire

time's sutured notions of release
played on yellow-fingered sleep
its storied grace and reliquary charms