Kris Raido
FOR TEETH
She is
a willow. Or better yet, a cherry tree.
Washington biting into her
wooden lips, an axe
for teeth, for tongue.
In a flurry of falling flowers,
snowing the earth with petals of her flesh.
She died as pure as she lived.
Martyr, virgin, sacrifice.
Open eyes:
find a pulse still beating.
Her blood is sap, I lean to kiss
the resin that drips down grained cheeks.
Willow, or a wavering orchard goddess.
Location: Port Angeles, Washington Email: kris_raido@hotmail.com Awards: Winner of Outsider Ink's Writing Contest #8
