In my old apartment 

there was a silversmith

who lived on the other side of the wall

I would hear her tapping 

hammer on silver and brass

and admire her discipline

 

Having been moved for some weeks

she reached across neighborhoods

and offered to work a bit of alchemy for me

blending salts and mercury

a game of transmutation 

Cu + Zn = a summoning of 

a golden sun breaking dawn 

with dancing rays 

a glory cutting into a silver sky

 

She asked what spell should be inscribed

what I chose to wear pressed

against the skin just above the knuckle

beside her maker’s mark

a stack of ore and stone reads

 

“be daring: 

fear is boring.”