Delicacies

You can walk a long time

among oaks and pines

before you realize small animals

have been watching you

from their hideaways,

recording, for the good

of their species, how you move,

and what you might do next.

And it's rare when the wind

in the leaves reminds you

of the laughter you heard

one day, far off, the kind

you wanted to move toward,

so devoid of malice,

so clearly at no one's expense.

And even rarer—when out

looking for raspberries

to bring home to the woman

who loves them and you—

to come across a bra

on the ground, other articles

of clothing strewn about,

and be moved to turn

and go back to your car

with its tank full of supreme,

quite sure you don’t need

to disturb what’s sufficient

to imagine, at least not today

with so much desire

in the air, and this story

you’re readying to tell

that you know she’ll prefer

to raspberries, your empty hands

unstained.

--Stephen Dunn