Nesting Doll

she can see the growth rings 

           of the felled linden 

behind the septic 

           concentric on the face 

of the darkening lake 

fish snatching bait 

          rings of glass

like overlapping ohms 

in evening’s class

unraveling Russian doll 

nested in her chest 

       breath paring layers

grandmother mother

mother into daughter

the center

a seed doll 

       lathed from linden

baby due July

     embryonic

asana

back home

onion peeled

grub removed

fish fried 

pregnant for the third time

growth rings

         of her face 

show earlywood 

        latewood

drought and fire scar

a toddler  

clung to thigh

jabbering 

       ribbed dog 

slobbering 

husband strumming 

tonewood 

by water’s edge

       moving melancholic

across the face of the lake 

grandfather fishing

          in tobacco clouds

hook without bait

          cooler bare

memory pared

linden sapling

in memoriam

61 years gathering girth 

       his deep shades

of grief

stumped 

now a map

to read 

       from center outward

and outward back

like too-soon contractions 

         in spring

every stone gathered

        dropped heavy 

in her pocket 

remembered later 

        and flung across

the lake

        seed doll sinking 

glass rings 

hatchet swinging

        growth rings 

behind the septic 

        concentric on the face 

of the darkening lake