I keep trying to read the tea leaves greening
the lukewarm belly of the mug—

instead I keep ingesting them.

                                                Every time
I think I see a pattern or a pattern thinks it sees

me, doglike dragon slipping fish down its throat
or moon-eyed sailor with albatross sails,

I swallow & the world floats a moment
lighter under my skin. The beloved

will hide knowledge he should share.
Or a dire warning: I am on the correct path.

Jellyrope fastens the bloated leaves as
they swim to the surface, splaying

themselves for public view like a new tattoo.

O mustard-yellow vessel I’ve become,
dappled robin’s egg, circular globe:

predict the outcome of this improbable existence.