A Day in the Maryam of Winter

Across the road
snow has fallen
and filled
her body that
she kept on a rock

Maryam is an aluminum
box her grandmother
stores blouses in
of her foremother
from another land where
dust drowns itself
in the sea

A crow whistles
The scene shivers

Maryam leans
forward to take a glance
of her palms heavy
with someone else’s
dry leaves

She looks at the crow
The crow stares back
at her, they exchange eyes

Maryam can now
see herself from
the tree--her
body leaning
and collecting snow

She takes her eyes
back to throw them
at a black
dot receding
in the distance

Maryam then walks
to her house and
sits by the window
With leaves she paints
the trees brown
With snow she paints
the frame white