Lying in Late Spring

Wind runs its nails over my stomach,

Indents and recedes,

Licks the salt off my flesh,

Rests its cool tongue

Against the skin on my arms,

Holds me to the grass.

Wind hisses in my silence,

Sends a million cotton balls

To float over me, wads of

Natural confetti

Pulled in and out by its breath,

And mine.

Wind grasps to the sunlight,

Its uneven glow

Flirting with clouds,

The shadows on my skin

Dive between my shoulder blades,

Take a swim in the pits of my collarbones.

Cool air that depletes the heat,

Dries the sweat,

Puts flat planes like walls

To push my lips

And dry them to the soundless

Blow and heatless shine.

Bio:

Debbie J. Ernie holds a bachelor degree in English – Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She plans to pursue a MFA in Poetry in the near future.