If I wait among
the blackberries
for rain to soften
thorns, lie down
among speckled
eggs readying
to hatch,
I will miss
the thrum of deeper
woods, wilding paths
with no promises.

Resisting the perfume
of convention,
the air
of authority,
I feel
compelled to follow
lines of desire,
pirate paths.
No maps needed,
only awareness.
Out of stillness,
signs will naturally
appear.

Carol Alena Aronoff is a psychologist, teacher, poet. Her work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies and was twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has participated in several ekphrastic events and has published a chapbook as well as 5 books of poetry: The Nature of Music, Cornsilk, Her Soup Made the Moon Weep, Blessings From an Unseen World, Dreaming Earth’s Body.