move closer

the scent of
horses’ salty lather

late-night urgent
phone call or

strolling under
a full moonrise

the perfume of
your infant’s neck

euthanizing
your elderly dog

or a whiff of
Daphne Adora
in midwinter

drink from this
rushing river
the one taste of living

2023 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.