ROYAL RED

by Joanna Gilman Hyde

The Hawk Well 4:45pm

Royal Red followed Me

through My Sleep

from Whitehorse

to the bottom of My Deepest Well

— through a blackout

@ 2:00 am

which had Me in My PJs

in The Morning Light

looking down

and down

with a bucket

on The Longest Rope

in The World

tipped with bricks

unsuccessfully

until EYE used My Mother’s Method:

drop The Bucket

upside down

straight

and haul up

The Entire Line

of Humanity