“nature demands” by Ray Ball

deep-rooted
love and diligence
this journey
an abundance
of needles
spindle of glory
first and oldest

paint a picture
bring wall hangings
carry water
and enter
my thoughts
as the full
moon rejoices

Note: This is an erasure poem. The source text is John Jones and Javier San José Lera, eds. La Perfecta Casada (Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1999), 4-21.

Ray Ball grew up in a house full of snakes. She is a history professor, a Best of the Net and Pushcart-nominated poet, and an editor at Alaska Women Speak. Her chapbook Tithe of Salt came out with Louisiana Literature Press in the spring of 2019, and she has recent publications in Human/Kind Journal, Rivet, and SWWIM Every Day. You can find her in the classroom, in the archives, or on Twitter @ProfessorBall.