She leaned through the trees 
Like she leaned through life,
Arms curled around their slender trunks
Head forward,
Chin tilted,
With one long leg stretched out behind. 

She leapt through the timbers
Like she leapt through life,
Delicately dancing on dangerous curves,
Lichened bark husks,
Toadstools, bear scat, boulders
Nimbly skipping decayed, half-hidden deadfall.

I see her now 
Half cradling, half swooning
Leaping from narrow limb 
To ground
And back again
Laughing among leaves,
Tossing love high in the air,
And jumping, arms outstretched 
To meet it falling back at her.

And I sit waiting
Anxious, trying to catch, and trying to capture.
I wait on this willow 
Like I've waited on life,
Half-gasps, half-sighs
Eyes closed and ears wide open…
I can almost hear the dead twigs speaking.

They click through the branches
Like they click through life,
Sounds curved around long, hollowed wrists,
Lisps forward,
Wind tilted,
With one lone rasp stretched out behind...

They wind around limbs
Like they wind through…