As if You Didn’t Exist at All

How scary it must be to go missing.
Perhaps they thought she wandered away
But surely she’ll be back before an hour.

Maybe she got lost.
Maybe she’ll be back soon?
Instead of being dragged off kicking while the sun was still shining
Yet not a head turns,

She’ll be back soon.
Wet tears streaming down wide white eyes
Not a feather falls for her plight
Mouth hoarse from howling into the ignorant night.

Wet tears streaming down wide white eyes
With only the moon as a witness
Wails swallowed by the night
Buried in the detritus and rain-soaked forest floor

With the moon as my witness, Hail Mary.
Baptize the bloody and broken in the pale moonlight
Buried in the detritus and rain-soaked forest floor
Devoured by rows of shark-toothed spruce trees.

Markings in time
Out of the silent spruce forest--
Maybe she’ll come back soon.