Prologue
The
Oak
branches
stretching out
within her stirrings
this preacher’s wife taken in youth
Chapter One
The Tree
The
oak
centered
strength in dirt
the rich deep brown dirt
where preacher’s faith is buried—still
The
land
fertile
words get lost
in wind that carries
silence through the leaves of oak trees
his
deep
brown eyes
in contrast
against his gray lines
sketched intertwined through thick black hair
his
life
preaching
gave comfort
of exquisite taste
for her need to escape his hand
her
time
with him—
time with him
again and again—
begs the question of what time is
rose
red,
amber
youthful face
a measured smile
turned upside down in his presence
to
sit
to eat
a dinner
was always a lust
of celebration for his faith
his
word
heard twice
and again
three times more than last:
pain of stirring inhibition
his
face
drawn near
closing in
on her innocence
violence of his fearful breath
the
rape
knotted
still more pain—
her glimpse, a brief thought
her mother’s fate, not hers, she thought
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