1 files changed, 42 insertions, 21 deletions

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-title: Litany for plants
+title: Litany for a plant
 genre: verse
 
 project:
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ project:
 I need a plant.  I need a thing \
 to take care of.  I need \
 a little green brownspotted \
-blackdirt growing \
+[blackdirt][] growing \
 quietness.  I need a sunlit \
 dawn knowing my name filtered \
-through a thin green window. \
+through a [thin green window][]. \
 I need chlorophyll \
-working its magic on beams of \
+working its [magic][] on beams of \
 grassmade early morning dewdrop \
 sweetmaking green.  I need \
 the dark earth sucking water \
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ from a black crevice \
 its black magic churning \
 wormilled rockturned starblind \
 darkness and cold into \
-the opposite of dust.  I need the heat \
+[the opposite of dust][].  I need the heat \
 to blind me.  I need the dumb making \
 to charge my coldened blood.  I need \
 the dropturned leaves to turn again \
-their faces to the windblown sun. \
+their [faces to the windblown sun][]. \
 I need millions of tiny years \
 summed up and burning out some unknown \
 new growth into the air.  I need four \
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ to fail to bring you down.  Old one \
 I need the peace that comes with knowing \
 something sacred holds still \
 in the world.  I need your green tongues \
-of flame to lick at old wounds \
+[of flame to lick at old wounds][] \
 stitching us together away from ourselves. \
 I need your brownbranching grasp \
 to keep me from drifting off \
-into unknowing terrible sleep.  I need \
-to know the snake hanging \
+into [unknowing terrible sleep][].  I need \
+[to know the snake][] hanging \
 from your branches.  I need to watch \
 the dropping of flesh massful \
 onto the ground from a height.  I need \
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ barking new greennesses into the bark. \
 I need a knocker of dark secrets hidden \
 in the dark bark hiding a smallstone \
 smoldering pearl in the knot.  I need \
-that pearl held out in a hand like an offering. \
+that [pearl held out in a hand][] like an offering. \
 I need the hand to be a plant's hand.
 
 I need a plant.  I need a growing \
-growler groaning toward heat and air. \
+growler [groaning][] toward heat and air. \
 I need a green thin stem surprisingly strong \
 holding up the weight of a plain \
-of fallow greennesses of creases and caresses \
+of fallow [greennesses of creases and caresses][] \
 of tiny worldmaking hardworking grandeur. \
 I need a singer of life crying \
 forward into old roads covered over \
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ into cabins of wood fought for by labor. \
 I need snow on the ground with shoots \
 dotting the melting patches.  I need two \
 leaves on a thin stalk shivering \
-in moonlight.  I need robinsong warbling \
+in [moonlight][].  I need robinsong warbling \
 over the heads of small seeds sprouting \
 to enliven their growth.  I need rings \
 of woody material widening to push \
@@ -86,25 +86,46 @@ the ground out of their way.  I need \
 new greennesses pushing out from \
 the brown dark bark gnarled.  I \
 need the robin to build its songfilled \
-nest in a branchcrotch.  I need \
+nest in a [branchcrotch][].  I need \
 the fecundity of fungi on the branches. \
 I need quiet of the sunlight shooting \
 through thousands of branched leaves \
-quivering.  I need whisper at dawn. \
+quivering.  [I need whisper at dawn.][] \
 I need burrows underground foxholes. \
 I need duff layers eaten through \
 by worms.  I need brooks murmuring \
 through crooks of roots.  I need small \
-fish swimming in their schools at \
+[fish swimming][] in their schools at \
 midnight.  I need oldnesses giving way \
-to youngnesses giving way to oldnesses. \
+[to youngnesses giving way to oldnesses][]. \
 I need dapplegray yellowshot ashbark. \
 I need the crunch of dead leaves underfoot. \
-I need snowquiet deadbranch mourning. \
-I need those purple mountains majesty. \
+I need [snowquiet deadbranch][] mourning. \
+I need those [purple mountains majesty][]. \
 I need a walk between trees in the dark. \
 I need that moment when stopping to rest \
 it suddenly seems that all the weary \
-forestroads in all their meandering come \
-to rest their heads at my astonished \
+[forestroads][] in all their meandering come \
+[to rest their heads][] at my astonished \
 feet, none of them needing more than me.
+
+[blackdirt]: building.html
+[thin green window]: window.html
+[magic]: cereal.html
+[to rest their heads]: riptide_memory.html
+[forestroads]: http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html
+[purple mountains majesty]: http://www.wrensworld.com/purpmount.htm
+[snowquiet deadbranch]: 100-lines.html
+[to youngnesses giving way to oldnesses]: about-the-author.html
+[fish swimming]: proverbs.html
+[I need whisper at dawn.]: apollo11.html
+[branchcrotch]: epigraph.html
+[moonlight]: finding-the-lion.html
+[greennesses of creases and caresses]: the-sea_the-beach.html
+[groaning]: feedingtheraven.html
+[pearl held out in a hand]: roughgloves.html
+[to know the snake]: ouroboros_memory.html
+[unknowing terrible sleep]: in-bed.html
+[of flame to lick at old wounds]: fire.html
+[faces to the windblown sun]: no-nothing.html
+[the opposite of dust]: https://samofthetenthousandthings.wordpress.com/2012/09/08/charles-wright-reads-james-wright-the-journey-audio-poem/