The Leaves Like Women Interchange

The Leaves Like Women Interchange - meaning Summary

Secrecy as Social Ritual

The poem likens the exchange of leaves to the behaviors of women, using that analogy to explore small, coded social rituals. Brief gestures and knowing looks create a sense of confidential connection that is nonetheless performative. What is sworn to secrecy becomes a public pact: private signs circulate until they achieve notoriety. The poem suggests how intimacy and display coexist, and how private compacts can inadvertently become communal knowledge.