Praise the one that breaks the darkness
I praise the necklace so long
it drapes, loops, and circles
the neck of a grieving dowager
back to her girlhood play.
Yet, I praise the darkening
urine of amber beads and the fears
engendered by bloodstone;
I praise red coral—millions of gifts
piled by sea creatures’ lives.
Under
the hard western sky, I praise
grimy hands, fashioning turquoise
squash blossoms for the necks
of tourists.
I praise the poor woman’s
subterfuge, Zircon, and the queen’s
throngs of golden chains.
I praise Nancy Pelosi’s pearls,
the sound-taste of chrysoprase,
citrine’s juiciness, opal’s sparks,
amethyst’s rumored temperance.
I praise the jeweler’s loupe,
peeking down from its glass copula
into jasper’s chocolate smear
purloined from Heaven’s walls.
