smoke in our hair /excerpts/
[...]
Mesquite, cedar, piñón, juniper,
all are distinct.
[...]
We walk around the rest of the day
with the aroma resting on our shoulders.
[...]
Smoke, like memories, permeates our hair,
our clothing, our layers of skin.
The smoke travels deep
to the seat of memory.
We walk away from the fire;
no matter how far we walk,
we carry this scent with us.
New York City, France, Germany—
we catch the scent of burning wood;
we are brought home.
Where Clouds are Formed (The University of Arizona Press, 2008).
