Scott Simpson · Poetry

Juniper

Where the Growth Begins · printed pages 40–41

The original line breaks, stanza spacing, and placement are preserved. Long lines scroll horizontally.

Source page 40

Juniper

It has eyes

blue beads dusted

with chalk, blind

upon each limb

he picks them

rubs them open

between his thumb

and palm

deep in the sticky belly

of gnarled branches

no wind

no sound

but the cricket's chirp

and that, only after

he sits

still enough

long enough

to become

Juniper

If you stand

at twilight

near the edge

of the park

you may see

a round juniper

giving birth

to a small boy

DR SCOTT SIMPSON

Source page 41

the boy, some say

with eyes

in back of his head

WHERE THE GROWTH BEGINS