The Skin's Instruction
It's important she says that summer
Flatten itself against autumn. That it keep
Insisting yes yes it's true yes the heat
Makes things difficult. She shows him
How her shoulders have gone. Darker still
But do you remember she looks with eyes
Wide how cold the cold is. How
We can barely stand morning until
Hot showers—press the heat inside
Our bones again he's trying. Hard
To let go a need for comforts to recall
How simple the skin's instruction. Here
She says pointing to the open. Night
Winds have come and now you've only
A moment longer before the breathing. Begins
And it'll be alright as you sleep and tomorrow
Everything changes again when
You'll see how summer. Knows how
There isn't time for fuss just enter
The day she says just enter the poem just.
Copyright Credit: Jessica Rigney, "The Skin's Instruction" from Something Whole. Copyright © 2021 by Jessica Rigney. Reprinted by permission of Finishing Line Press.
Source: Something Whole (Finishing Line Press, 2021)