THE LOVERS

THE LOVERS

by Catherine Garbinsky

Out in the orchard,

wasps are burrowing into ripe berries,

relishing soft

sweetness on the vine.

Today I affirm: to relish your sweetness,

but also the bitter and the bruised parts of you.

Gather the salt from my tears,

grind it down with dried herbs between mortar and pestle.

Crush the worries and doubts into a fine powder of hope.

Store it away somewhere safe,

take a spoonful when we argue.

Your voice reverberates deep inside my bones

when you say my name.

There is magic in the names of things,

and you weave your spell around the two of us, whispering

the alchemy of your dreams,

transforming our world to gold.

________________________________________________

*This poem originally appeared in The Cerurove*

Catherine Garbinsky is a poet and educator living in Northern California with her partner, her books, and her toothless tabby cat. Catherine holds a degree in The Poetics of Transformation: Creative Writing, Religion, and Social Justice from the University of Redlands. Her micro-chapbook of Ursula Le Guin erasures, All Spells Are Strong Here, is part of the Ghost City Press 2018 Summer Series. Her work has been featured or is forthcoming in L’éphémére Review, Bye Bye Nite Magazine, Venefica Magazine, Cauldron Anthology, and others.