she believes if she remains
extremely still it will
return to her
make her unafraid
of what she’s become
the old cautions are
too heavy to carry
so she rolls them
like mill stones
down an autumn road
where the trees do not know
they are dying, instead believe
they are only dressing up
to go somewhere wonderful
eventually she sees it, standing
on a distant shore, waving
across the ocean to get her attention
it wants to tell there’s nothing
new over there—that everything
she remembers is still in place
and has nothing to say
extremely still it will
return to her
make her unafraid
of what she’s become
the old cautions are
too heavy to carry
so she rolls them
like mill stones
down an autumn road
where the trees do not know
they are dying, instead believe
they are only dressing up
to go somewhere wonderful
eventually she sees it, standing
on a distant shore, waving
across the ocean to get her attention
it wants to tell there’s nothing
new over there—that everything
she remembers is still in place
and has nothing to say