By Sarah Amalia Holst

when giving a tour
of the farm
it is important
to let the basil speak

it is not “holy” in a
way your guest might be
used to

but it is resurrection
nonetheless

ask them to stick their
face into the plant
or to touch the leaves
both tough & tender
without digging in their
teeth & fingernails

yes it melts like butter
yes it’s made of atoms

when touring the lake
remember
to let the wind speak

do not fill the air with stories
that do not match her tenor

the way the sheets of ice
dip & float
a gentle rocking between
water & sun

if your voice cannot paint
with the dry reed’s dance
silence it
& let your eyes
& fingertips do the speaking

you will find that
your guest leaves
with an understanding
of what it means
to move with undulating
windows of ice
how it is to use
ordinary things
like death

to grow