poem

for Percy

Discouraged, not defeated.
Otherwise why would you lift
your leaves at night and lower
them in morning? Time enough
to dance in your slow way, to
breathe, to bask in halflight while
your dirt becomes like dust up
on a mountain, blown away.
Despite the weather heaven
sends to gather up your roots
as David gathered stones: to
set them down again in praise.

19 November 2022 poem