She says yes trillium is like morning glories but with three long leaves,
much better colors. Not so biological, I say. She
pictures rolling hills, crocuses, and apple blossoms
swooning, perfumed. I say, no your brain is parsing that beauty,
more like huge mountains or vistas of the sea
so blunt
or featureless they’re terrifying.
Fear of the unknown, all that water making you feel small.
But how can a waterfall make you afraid? she asks.
Like you look
into a canyon and a handful of pearls drops
through your chest, I say.
She blinks. I spread my arms out:
Extreme love, when you’re scared by how much you love someone.
She says, I’ve not experienced that yet
So I go retrograde or long as in an involved classroom discussion
to explain fear of the sublime
to the girl who missed weeks
because a doctor misdiagnosed her with cancer.
