Dig a hole in the earth
and root yourself there,
then hoard the sun
until it warms you,
coaxes tendrils, then blossoms,
from your fertile loam.   

Curl as a leaf
beneath a child’s magnifying glass  
and let the beam burn you
to emptiness, then breathe
into that space.   

Open as the resin-coated paper
to the enlarger’s ray,
then in the safelight’s glow,
slide into the warm bath,
rock gently, and await  
the image of your soul.