Sinta*

: Oka Segara

and then

in these woods

is there anything greener

than a woman’s

cambium radiance

a single leaf drifted

to the ground

a bloodless wound

in the tree

dew on the surface

of the leaf

as salty as river sand

the language of life

eternal and immovable

:

how deep do roots go into the earth

how long can they keep the trunk alive

why is there always a question

of faithfulness

why is there always a noose

at the end of a rope

*oleh Ida Ayu Oka Suwati Sideman