Annie said that no one needs to teach

A girl to make clover blossom chains

—split stem slipped through split stem.  

The skill is born in their hands,

Fingers, fingernails, and to sit cross-legged

On an unmowed lawn is enough

To mine up the unremembered memory.

If not inherent, then learned so

Quick and natural in side-glances at

Sister-hands that to learn seems 

Altogether too decisive a word.

Anyhow she says it belongs to girls specially.

See?  Her husband knots the stems instead

And he says this creates stronger 

Necklaces and crowns.  But I

Have seen split-stem chains long

Enough to coil around a girl’s

Folded legs three times, blossom

Borne within blossom, flower in flower

In flower—fragile, yes, 

But strong enough to last 

Until these flowers wilt,

Anyhow.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAGE RONDA