A topographer
Understands the delicacy
Of tenderly unfolding
Corners of parchment,
Admiring the contours
Of the landscape,
Running gentle fingers
Across mountain ranges,
Over peaks and
Through the valleys,
Fording hidden rivers
Where no man has traveled,
Drinking from crystal clear waters
To satisfy their thirst,
Using her lover’s breath
As a compass,
Following the direction
The needle points,
Covering the distance
Breath by breath,
Mapping her body.

Marie Prichard is a longtime writer and educator. She lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with her wife, their two wiener dogs, and a Munchkin cat. She loves reading, writing, walking the beach, and filling her wife’s pockets with heart rocks. You can read more of her writing on Medium