Upon breaking waves
I saw you floating
above the water,
daughter of Neptune,
sprouting from your root
Above the mountains
I kissed you softly
Cybele spied us
and sought to convert
us, before we fled
In great green forests
I chased you and caught
you, and built you a
home from their branches
Silvanus saw, and
cunningly trapped us,
making us the guards
of his woods and fields
Seeking to escape,
you sang to him once
a sweet sad song of
Pomona, making
him her sweet hero,
providing a home
to her luscious trees,
thwarting Vertumnus,
making her his own
In gratitude, he
granted your release
Even today I
work his fields, walking
up and down the rows
and sing to myself
minor harmonies
of the song you sang
Waiting long for your
return
it struck me, the way that she smoked
with no regard for passers-by,
the crowd shuffled past her slowly,
the odd head jerking toward her,
wearing a frown in faux-disgust
she leaned in the sun against the
rust brick wall, baking in the heat,
one foot grounded and the other
propped loose against the dingy wall
I watched her raise her cigarette,
slowly to her mouth and tug,
the end lighting up in hot delight
her arm dropped down as the slightest
smokey wisp escaped her lips and
vanished in her inhalation
the festival crowd, densely packed
with tired fathers and lonely
mothers shepherding their children
she stood in stark contrast as one,
singularly disaffected,
letting the trails of smoke waft up,
one slowly from her dangling hand,
the other a white puff of cloud
escaping her nose and her mouth
a young woman walked quickly by
and turned, scoffing to her sister,
expressing her astonishment
with a grand gesticulation
and then I saw the one, only,
indication she was aware
of the crowd she stood among
one side of her mouth turned slowly,
in a sly and sultry grin -
and again she raised her cigarette,
enjoying her moment in the sun
Leaf
i
the river carries
the leaf to destinations
yet undecided
ii
surface floating leaf
unnoticed by the river
inconsequential
iii
the leaf cannot go
where it would choose to travel
it can only ride
iv
powerless leaf
a victim of circumstance
resigns to river’s will
v
in the end the leaf
will succumb to the current
and find it’s ocean grave
River
i
the river carries
the leaf to destinations
only it will choose
ii
no power deters
the strong and steadfast river
it goes where it will
iii
placid river flows
singularly beautiful
firm in it’s resolve
iv
beneath the surface
the thriving river carries
the wellspring of life
v
the river and the leaf
powerful and powerless
destinies contrast
The autumn fades to winter’s chill
In colored waves across the hills
The dusted snow is sprinkled light
Upon the leaves contrasting white
The crisp cool air advances still
The robin’s song to winter’s trill
The frosted dew sets on the sill
Refreshing breeze now turns to bite
The autumn fades
The barren trees set cold and still
October cedes November’s will
The distant sun from fading heights
Will slowly set, succumb to night
I sit and wait and watch until
The autumn fades
The ocean cries out soft for me today
Placid waters whisper out my name
The changing tide ebbs from the distant bay
Reminding me that nothing stays the same
Placid waters whisper out my name
Concealing their destruction left behind
Reminding me that nothing stays the same
Then most when we have paid it little mind
Concealing their destruction left behind
Though little with each passing wave is harmed
Then most when we have paid it little mind
Will innocence beguile us with its charm
Though little with each passing wave is harmed
When resting sweet and soft in its embrace
Will innocence beguile us with its charm
A devil’s purpose wears an angel’s face
When resting sweet and soft in its embrace
I know its lies will move the hearts of men
A devil’s purpose wears an angel’s face
I close my eyes and hear it once again
I know its lies will move the hearts of men
The ocean cries out soft for me today
I close my eyes and hear it once again
The changing tide ebbs from the distant bay
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