fingers bitter
like the pith of orange
earlier today I crushed poison ivy
to find out what would happen

once I chased nieghbor children with the stuff in hand,
it did nothing to me but turn me bitter
oily poison
so I laughed as they ran
like the stuff passed my skin to my heart
and made me
sting

now
the bitter like strychnine
what have I touched?
rummaging through old shelves
finding boxes thought lost
maybe hidden
did she know they were
and hide them
of malice
poison ivy
 or forget
like the poisoned pregger
too full to recall