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Definition of a Tree

A poem by Christine Hamm

when climbed, gives a view
of other trees, houses, the street
next door, and the next

is not pleasant to lick but
feels good on your palms

leaves light green near the stem
yellow near the edges
like glass held to light
shaped like spear heads
not good to eat

branches the size of your waist
precarious for balancing
beetles crawl up your shorts

leaf cluster at the end of
branches make good
whips for a younger brother

bark gets in your hair, knots it
when you shimmy up the trunk

canopy sways at the top
rocks back and forth like a rowboat
mothers scream when they see you
up high

In it you might be Tarzan

Christine Hamm -- inkststesbitter@yahoo.com -- lives in Astoria, N.Y., and is a getting her Ph.D in English Literature at Drew University. Her work has been published in many journals, including the Adirondack Review, Pebble Lake Review, Lodestar Quarterly, Poetry Midwest, MiPoesias, Rattle, Snow Monkey, and the Absinthe Literary Review. Little Poem Press published her chapbook, The Salt Daughter, and another, The Animal Husband, came out from Dancing Girl Press in April of this year. Her full-length book; The Transparent Dinner, is due out from Mayapple Press in the fall. She is on the editorial board of several literary journals, including Vernacular. She teaches literature at the College of New Rochelle and poetry writing at Women's Studio Center in Queens, N.Y.

Fall 2006 Poetry:

READING HOPKINS IN PALOS VERDES by Andrew Demcak
REFLECTIONS ON WRITING by Jann Burner
THEY BUILT A WALL AROUND THE OCEAN by Lily Bower
VISITING CAVE CREEK by Nicholas Messenger
PUBLISHER'S NOTE and ACKNOWLEDGMENTS by Benjamin Bucholz
THERE IT IS by Hannah Price
GEOMETRY AND A LETTER by Laura McKee
SENEGALESE GROVE by Holly Day
AFRICA by Kathryn Wagner
DEFINITION OF A TREE by Christine Hamm
AFTER MY NAME IS SPOKEN by Meridith Gresher
SHAPES IN THE AIR by Carolyn Syrgley-Moore
NEITHER FISSION NOR FUSION by Ed Tato
CLEAVINGS by Hank Kalet
A PILGRIM'S PROGRESS by KC Wilder
WHAT YOU WOULD CALL A LOOSE GHAZAL, I REGARD AS
ANOTHER SMALL, BUT NECESSARY, STEP TOWARD RECOVERY by James R. Whitley