I see a pair of hands with ring-wrapped fingers.

Fingers sharing the rings they carry but rings bearing differents designs.

One is not for the other; the other is not for the one, but rings nonetheless.

TWO HUNGRY BLACKBIRDS

lovers accustomed to tragedy
see every kiss in the window 'cross the street
breezes and blessings passing by.

i'm in the shade of the dogwood tree
not the one where you told your name to me
two hungry blackbirds land near by.

if i could be over you when the sky starts falling
would you be happy under me
if i could be under you if the earth was burning
could you be trusted over me.

spoke to a mother who's baby drowned
gave me advice, or a rumor she once heard:
“heaven's a distance not a place.”

gave her an ear from the corn we grew
you were away but she gave her thanks to you
that was a year ago come may.

if i could be over you when the sky starts falling
would you be smothered under me
if i could be under you if the earth was burning
would you be cryin’ over me.

i could hear kids in the yard next door
cats in the brush when the calendar fell down
wait by the shade-tree one more year.

poetry tempered with tragedy
tempted and pulled when you cry upon my sleeve
two flocks of blackbirds meet the air.

HER TEA LEAVES
Iron & Wine

And come the evening of my day,
The dark birds in the trees and in her garden.

I think Ill be there somewhere too,
the arrow by my head where I have fallen.

She will lick her thinner thumb and ring-less finger too
and douse the candle.

And though she never gave a thing,
The way she said my name.
Well be together

When autumn comes shell be there,
Jasmine still in her hair.
Her tea leaves drying by the sea.

Many men behind her door have heard the bathtub run
and longed to love her.
Though she never waits for me,
we never ask the time when were together.

When autumn comes shell be there
Jasmine still in her hair.
Her tea leaves dried by the sea.