trees

roy herndon smith

the cold strips the trees
branches arch against the light
a spatter of leaves
shivers in the wind
shadows tremble on the wall
i rake up the words

the cold blows the words
out of my mind off the trees
up against the wall
i can’t reach the light
shadows flicker in the wind
i remember leaves

i remember leaves
the exuberance of words
gathering the wind
swishing on the trees
flowing in green throwing light
tracings on the wall

i remember walls
figures of branches and leaves
dancing in the light
the lacework of words
drifting away from the trees
i vanish in winds

i vanish in winds
the luminescence of walls
the bending of trees
that have lost their leaves
the delicacy of words
breaking into light

i vanish in light
fading away in the wind
the stillness of words
the silence of walls
disintegration of leaves
resilience of trees

i the sky the walls
winds cold branches leaves all leave
words shadows of trees