Canyon Poem by Joan Xie

The very thought of
that need the sun to survive
sent a beam of shivering through her spine.

The need to be loved
and the need to be left alone
pulled her apart:

First a fissure on the rock
Then a crack.
Towering water worked its way
to pan out her misery,
Rising up, tumbling down, roaring.

Even now when everything
seems to be at its elements,
Standing at the edge of the canyon,
You won't see her bottom.

It is an utmost secret of the earth.
You better not wander into her mouth.


(2019.9.3)