It begins
with a quiver
of thought
so thin
the wind
blows through it
the wind
becomes a word
for “thank you”
and so it spreads
like welcome rain.
if you wait,
they will come:
broomsedge to goldenrod,
sweetgum to winged elm
an epidemic of tall trees,
supple, arriving
on the edge of ice.
I have taken lately to following the slightest sliver of impulse to contact a friend. I want to be promiscuous with these impulses. Risking decorum, defying temperament, I make the call. I have to believe these seeds are as opportunistic as any and will take hold in lava fields, on glacial tills, on craggy hillsides. Around the world, lands which have been laid bare by fires or humans follow a similar pattern of recovery. This pattern is referred to as "natural succession."
