how do they decide? trees 
a limb skyward just so, dance
geometry of balance with limbs 
underground

we are all of different kinds, greater
and lesser, canopy and understory
riverine, mountain-calming, back alley
priests of the enduring divine, limbs
in a tangle, a liminal tingle, their
random triangle resonating

their lives their own
the voice above, the voice
below, each stanza tied

refrain is a funny word: don’t sing
the chorus

and what hangs in the trees?
criminal, sacrifice, nest
criminal, sacrifice, nest
refrain