And the River Birches Dance
Alone in the western quarter of my yard I sit,
I look up to the blue, the white, the sky,
And the river birches dance...
I remember them 14 years ago,
I was not sure of their future,
And the river birches dance…
Now they approach 70 feet,
Their salmon peeling bark as striking as ever,
And the river birches dance…
I ponder the years gone by
I know I cannot harness the calendar,
And the river birches dance…
I recall all the seasons that have passed,
The yellow, the white, the green,
And the river birches dance…
I see a mourning dove toddle a branch
He begins his sad little coo,
And the river birches dance…
I think of those I have lost,
Recalling sorrows I push away,
And the river birches dance…
I recognize the mortality of men,
My heart clutches those that I love,
And the river birches dance…
Joseph James 8-2-11
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