Touchstone

they say 

that a poem

or a piece of art

touches everyone

differently

because we are 

all different 

in how we explore

with our fingertips,

our knowing gaze,

our neurons bursting 

with hidden fire 

every time

you reach into a poem

and find the heart 

of the words

my astonishment 

is like a ribbon 

of cold silk, the 

breathlessness 

of a sudden fall

how are you able

to pluck out 

the touchstones 

from the river’s bed

every time