by Mark Irwin

by Mark Irwin
     Sunday mornings I would reach
     high into his dark closet while standing
     on a chair and tiptoeing reach
     higher， touching， sometimes fumbling
     the soft crowns and imagine
     I was in a forest， wind hymning
     through pines， where the musky scent
     of rain clinging to damp earth was
     his scent I loved， lingering on
     bands， leather， and on the inner silk
     crowns where I would smell his
     hair and almost think I was being
     held， or climbing a tree， touching
     the yellow fruit， leaves whose scent
     was that of a clove in the godsome
     air， as now， thinking of his fabulous
     sleep， I stand on this canyon floor
     and watch light slowly close
     on water I'm not sure is there.