With every falling petal

The plum branches

Grow older

 

With

the season changing

moods change as well,

every leaf

floats away —

carrying with it

loss

in all its subdued colours;

falling into sorrow

the last rose

petal curls brown.

The birds are busy

and resident squirrels, too

caching booty

while

plum juice ferments

for winter’s rejoicing

even though

bare

branches and wrinkles

begin to look the same —

gnarled and twisted

by the passage

of

time

as days

grow

older

 

 

© by Jana Kalina.

Used with the author’s permission.