Wise Woman

Wise woman of Vermont, come out of the forest
Assure me I won’t die lonely in these woods, show me 
How to keep owls out of my hair, tell me how  
To stack wood, to shoot trespassers, to seal the cracks
In my heart to keep the ice out, promise me
A catamount won’t think I’m food
Make me a pot of venison stew 
While you describe what to expect during the Changes
When you no longer sleep and my sorrow seems girlish
Teach me how to trim my whiskers when I get witchy
Advise me which mushrooms won’t kill us quickly
Suggest stapling my son to the wall till he’s twenty-seven
Tell me of your childless aunt who died asking for her kids 
How do I make it in this cold hard land? 
Tell me where the treasure’s buried? 
What’s the song I have to sing to myself?