Jealousy

I think the universe was drunk on jealousy the day it made her. It combed through libraries and little shops to pick and choose from poetry and trinkets. It saw the raven’s eye and chose a dappled garment hanging out to dry, then draped it on a supple, nimble frame. From a windowpane it stole an apple pie, from pantry came the cinnamon. It took vanilla from the cabinet, it snuck a dash of herbals too. There in the garden peonies were plucked and dried and placed in an array. I imagine that this mixture looked quite good on paper, maybe even lovely as a sheet of music but I wonder if the world knew how different life on Earth would be. The rivers would have reason and the will to come down from the melting mountains. The cheat grass aiming for the sun and goat heads lying still in wait. The wind itself would grow and grow until too bold for little boys with hats atop their heads. The passersby would have something to set their eyes upon, for eyes left to wander fall asleep. I think the universe knew sadness when it grabbed at random all the aspects it would take to make a woman of her capability. She wiggles like the worms when notes and tones are present, with hands as soft as milk and silk on skin she spreads a love too deep. I find that when she walks the world stops. I find that Time himself commands the arms there on the clock to spin a little faster. Too fast for me, it seems, as I cannot keep up. A step ahead or two is where I find her. Always with a smile on her face, so much so that a war machine like me can stop to think. I think of all the dreams it took to mold from clay a person this peculiar. I think of how Time would have had to wait and Mother Earth complained of something prettier, of how the pantry sat all covered up in dust until it was decided that the rest of us weren’t good enough. Someone would have to give a purpose to the Moon, for goodnight to have a meaning, for weeds to need their roots pulled up and wolves to run instead of walk. I think the universe knew beyond a shadow of a doubt exactly what it wanted and paved the way for her to take her place.