A PICKANINNY WANDERS FAERIE LAND 

Clitoria flowers and jacaranda trees

call the name of an unclad child, 

the ancient Deathless mother

feeds the wind of fear

behold:

the child of the forest

walks backward

through the Songs of Roland

to sleep beneath a tree of fairies

perched atop a tree of bread

turn your back to the forest, hut hut

turn your front to me, hut hut. 

Fairies once feared men, 

forced to hide their songs in flowers

they sat atop trees singing praise

blowing away the winds of fear

a lullaby of dreams to ward off 

the Deathless mother. Burnt lavender

and ground horehound only work

with pickled willow and scorched birch.