VERSE
Peters, Nancy
NANCY PETERS A WOMAN MN HER WINDOW There is a woman in the fifth window of the floral shop, bending to water each Mother's Tongue with the slim tip of her watering can. Now she's out of...
...She must crawl out as she came in like an earthworm drummed out of the ground in rain...
...In this there is a science of how to turn slowly, so as not to touch the outreaching leaves of the Boston fern, and not disturb the Yucca's sleep, or risk an outburst of anger from the cactus, and betray the begonia that's come to trust her...
...But now she's out...
...When there is no room she leans against the window the way a leaf is pressed against a page when trapped inside a heavy book for keeping...
...Now she's out of water...
...She ducks under the open door and once out, will return to everything green and growing, with an everlasting want of water...
Vol. 105 • January 1978 • No. 1
