THE ONE BOOK YOU BRING

If you’re reading this poem while stranded on a
desert island, make a solar water sill
by creating a slight grade
in the center of a sheet of anchored plastic
that covers a hole-dwelling for an open container
that’s surrounded by wet leaves
with a rock.
Condensation
will fill the container up.

You can also use the sun to make a fire,
which you’ll need if you want
to survive.

Building a shelter
is easy enough for you to figure out on your own
without poetry.

Take your glasses off and make a fire,
if you want to live,
because before you know it, the sun ripens
into spring’s deep evening crown
like a pile of spies tumbling out of your closet.

I don’t blame you. All they really ended up doing
anyway was eating pizza on the sidewalk which is sort of
and there was a boy vs girl pull-up contest
and everyone else was making jokes in terrible French
that were pretty great and smoking
strange liquorice tasting Canadian cigarettes
Claire was passing around
plus it’s exciting for me to let you go
knowing you’ll come back
it’s a new game I’m working on
called come back!
which could be baseball already
but anyway it had to have been invented by people
like us.

To make a fire rub two sticks.

Together, finally, I follow you up to your room
there’s only so much ping-pong
and bonfires you can watch
which isn’t a slap in the face, Spring,
even going gray in the middle of the night
all of a sudden, everyone noticed,
it was remarked upon (we saw and felt it,
the dampness in the grass
even near the fire and the fog
was a real friend to the smoke
holding it up, lending it spirit)
you are beautiful and just as welcome
as you are welcoming.

It’s a simple thing taken for granted
getting up, turning the faucet
the water fills my glass
it looks like you’re sleeping
but then you’re reaching out