originally appeared in Kingdoms in the Wild
Mauve sky deepens,
sending up the signal for lanterns!
Teardrops with metal
traceries, onion domes
of candy-colored glass,
paper globes like
alien moons frozen
in orbit, lacelike
perforated brass,
polyhedral or
cylindrical silhouettes,
crystal origami
illuminated from inside.
Lights
hanging from strings,
suspended from chains,
on the hook,
coiled in jars,
surrounded by panes,
giving off
every implication
of entrapment
but actually free,
—free—
shining and free!
