the wood bee

i was glad to see the drowsy day die
all the insects quit humming all the time
lay on the bed by the open window
i wanted to fall in love unabashed, easy, and slow
i wanted to love like i love the scent of tomato stems
i wanted to love like i love the way the sweetgum sapling bends
under the weight of the late afternoon rain
i let the breeze stroke my belly through the screen
while I humid lay and wondered about men
i wondered if i could love again and again.
could i love without feeling all hemmed in?
and where in hell has my heart been
all this ripe time?
another easy summer by the by
i was so glad to see the drowsy day die.

i wanted to be the tomato vines
i wanted to be the longleaf pines
the bobwhite called to me and the crow called him names
but, i think, it was the wood bee that i became
burrowed down in the porch's beams
hovering around, getting in the way of the door screen.