insisting it is spring in autumn
,
she'd fly despite pain
in some awake dream
and then dip down to the river
a blue heron,
a hawk
a hummingbird
depending

time slowed down
for a respite
in the routine of despair

and despite everything,
she insisted that this was spring

even tho it was autumn on the earth
in space, she insisted
we were in another kind of spring

"this could be everything
this could be golden age
this could be slipping over
into the next paradigm" she sang

today she planted
birds of paradise
and the ants left a trail of mesquite seeds

today two mockingbirds
were hopping on the fence,
she left bread and fruit out for them and the ants

then the verdin came back
singing her sweet song,
and doves, woodpecker, wren
all around this tiny apartment garden

she slowed down time
while she danced

she danced and felt the earth
massage her feet on up
through the top of her head

became water flowing
became river
in the woods

she then went running
deep in the woods
not lost, just deep

she could see all the old trails
that used to be camouflaged
rockpiles and pressed ground
flint all around falling leaves

she knew this place
like the back of her hand
here, she was free

_________________


“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.”




Pablo Neruda