in a tree house near
the stream, she sweated
rolling the backs of her
bare legs into the sun
and cooling her rich hair
in the shadows
where the rest of her
body fell didn't matter
if anyone saw
she would call them
close beneath her and the tree
where only her ankles
could be seen and the bottoms of
her feet rubbing over the edge
she thought she was alone
and so I watched her
sometimes she'd rise
to be a fairy queen
stretched to rule the wood
with a sheet over her back
she shed the white gown
to dance with branches groaning
she waved a bunch of leaves
over the forest toward the trees
then she'd take to knees
drop to her front to sleep
sweetly over the edge
I climbed her tree to peek
but I felt sneaky
she thought she was alone
and so, I watched her
like a cat who brushed below her skirt
and disappeared before
she could lift it up to see
what she was feeling
I hid there
until summer days were evenings
under the branches of her tree
it was only me
looking over the edge
she thought she was alone and so
I watched her.