Escape

the cool currents of a turquoise finger painting melts the sun down
on us, as we
dogs from the backyard

for a first time
roll under the barbed wire the cactus in the garden 
feet bared to the hillside of felt
like hands to glistening hair

we escape
steep hills to climb

the tree next door

stairs to an attic 

heads bent to see wildflowers color these feet

at the top
hidden by branches

lost in old photos we turn slowly, underwater

in a tidepool

a lake rose
over the mountain, to sail, through the valley
with the sky
blending like trout to stream or hawk to cliffs

people pass below
like birds at dance on a shore

while leaves dream