The Box Maze
Swallows A Birthday
Lisa Stice
From the big truck
men carry boxes
build boxwalls
narrow paths
we will walk for months.
Our dog lies in the yard
chin resting heavy on paws
he watches
the maze grow box by box.
The air is thick with summer
and fire ants walk in lines.
You, in too-big dress
and too-big sandals,
sit next to your dog-brother
raise a cup of water
to a mouth that hasn’t spoken
since we arrived here.
This is your second birthday
but there is only more boxes
ant bites swell to the size of quarters.
100