Splitting

A rock, that is,
has an inside
and an outside.
Split it
& you get two—
two outsides, now,
but two insides
too, maybe just
a bit rough
along one edge.
That’s how it is.
But you want to
imagine we are
an oak swallowing
lightning, split down
the middle but still
whole. Or an
atom, cleaving
its heart
& breaking
open a universe.

Alison Leigh Lilly nurtures the earth-rooted, sea-soaked, mist-and-mystic heritage of her ancestors through poetry and creative nonfiction. She is a columnist for SageWoman, and her writing has appeared in publications both in print and online, including Stirring, Eternal Haunted Summer, 7×20 and Third Point Press. You can learn more about her work at http://alisonleighlilly.com.