January
Zeal of whipped white waves, lift
from ocean depth, hurl
against jagged cliffs, spouting
rainbow mist, higher
than the exhale of whales
passing by
passing as people do in and out
of their lives, once entwined
then unraveled
silently untethered
loved souls roam the black
diamond night
sharp winds smear
moisture on every window
drive me into my cave, to hunker
in dimness, light candles
for those suffering
I sing their names like a song
sparrow calling spring.
Wizened oak galls dangle
like forgotten ornaments
while tiny promises push
out of pewter branches
the sheer density
of these short days, catches
my breath, no time
for grum countenance
as bright faces of oxalis
claim their chartreuse turf
I keep walking the muddy trail,
claiming my own heart, ablaze
and expanded like clouds of crimson
magenta in a vanishing sky.