Balancing

there is shape to line
and blocks of color
a scholar within indigo
as it senses blue
a shade of orange
and a shadow of leaf

I tried juggling once
started with rinds,
then apple cores,
tried pineapples, small melons,
and everyday a mess

I tried balancing once
felt a buckle in knees
a restlessness of hips
hands too weak
arms unsteady
matted hair heavy
with the perfume of sweat

I decided to stand motionless
for an hour or more--
well,
and then I took a partner
to lift above my head--
no

Balancing

what matters most
is how one object
can satisfy the weight of another,
its limbs relaxed
over a garden of earth
and me
breathing quietly nearby