in the world of natural law
the centrifuge leans and pulls
and Mercury unfailingly
orbits the sun every 88 days
rain falls
and the mouths of baby birds
open
to what they are fed
in a hollowed out life
I struggle with tidal breathing
and making my six liters of air
so I look toward gravity
and electromagnetic fields
for their unerring paths—
the steady needle in the compass
and the swath of the Aurora Borealis
to assure me of north
in these absolutes
hummingbirds are drawn to flowers that trumpet
to prevent the tangling of their wings
which gives me the courage to ask
in the world of tongue and groove
how do I fit here
Originally from Hawai’i, Pianta lives in San Diego but considers Hilo home. Her work has appeared in publications such as Bamboo Ridge Press and Ekphrasis.
