Embodied

My hands
trace jagged wall seams,
grope bulky curtain folds.

My feet
prod loose floorboards,
nudge worn furniture.

My eyes
scan packed bookshelves,
peer within dark wardrobes.

My nostrils
sniff dank cellar air,
inhale musty attic dust.

My face
peeks through dense hedges,
lingers on a mirrored reflection.

I am searching for
a secret passageway,
a veiled threshold, 
a forgotten alcove.

I seek fantastical places where
a trellis ascends to a magical garden,
a labyrinth opens to a bountiful orchard,
a litany leads a weary soul to solace.


Originally published in Amethyst Review (November 2024)