Ring around, plop, plop, plop

have you visited the tree,
the tree inside wired?
it's harrowing rooted, real-time fair,
human-sized fruiting, poisonous bare

tap the sap, suck it
the smooth-fleshed trunk.
it's older and ancient,
modern heroine.
will the leaves,
will the parasite, will the vermin

eat that afternoon,
take that smear.
stand it up, everything.
you fouled - your bed

fractals fracturing, it glows
spirals spin, slowly
in pockets
we fall

Mistletoe

What wildness holds us back from oblivion,
returns us to ourselves, pushes us back.
It grows on trees buzzing dangerous
with bees in between, and smells.
It'll die to live, so we'll live to die,
and the rot continue fresh.

Oh-- for a long sweet river,
a cool deep dive!