So long ago I crossed the threshold,
stepped through the gate and felt
unsure of what I’d chosen—
The neighbor’s wife had given me
a spray of white cattleya:
I could not see nor hear
the speckled warnings
crimsoning their throats
(like sex, unfurling)—
As with all things, it takes
a passing through to come
to any understanding; now
it seems possible that fear
can be undone, when finally it
turns into a kind of discerning—
[LAG-other-response date=”01 29 2013″ url=”https://www.vianegativa.us/2013/01/under-the-gun/” title=”Via Negativa: Under the gun”]