Evergreen
wick in the forest
oblong clearing gives air
enough gripe to paint fire here
saved from one blaze a hemlock
destined for your casket will be stripped
of its skin and cut into lengths
for intentional burn
loggers on a taco break
lean against their rigs
or climb onto a sheepskinned bench
to chug a cool one from the tote
they hoist and set the hemlock
return home to their fires
this evergreen
how long ago it was planted
to furnish and frame
the last best house for you
Quinton Hallett writes and edits from her rural property in Noti. She has three chapbooks and her first full-length collection, Mrs. Schrodinger’s Breast, was published by Uttered Chaos in 2015.
