Sarette Danae

Ritual

She plays with her rings, taking them off, one by one,
Dropping them softly in a dish where they clatter
Together, metal on metal.

First the turquoise stone, silver encased; a gift
From her grandfather when she came of age
to learn of her ancestors - those who lived simply
In the shade of pink adobe surrounded by
Needlepoint aloe and blue-green yucca.

Next the gold band inlaid with garnets,
Tiny stones of deep earth brown and Hecate black.
It had come to her one January, birth stones
For her birthday, bequeathed by some great aunt
Whose passing had buried its origin story.

Last comes her wedding ring. She goes slow
With its removal, gathering momentum to slide it
Over her knuckle, just a millimeter forward then back again,
Forward and back, forward and back. Until finally
It falls rattling beside the rest.