Ferns and Birds, Present Tense
©June 26th, 2019
By Vijaya Sundaram
Inexpressibly tender,
Ferns in the back yard fan out
A forest of mushrooms springs up
Beneath, grateful for the shade.
After rain, the soil breathes gratitude,
And birds, less frantic now,
Sing of this and that, not food and water,
All urgency gone, just a song of thanks.
Deep red and clustered closely together,
The Japanese maple’s leaves
Capture sunlight, and let it slip
Through, like children at a beach
Let slip sand and water through
Wet hands, while laughter splashes the air.
For now, the present
Is a gift, eternal.
Thoughts are a distraction,
And the mind is a Doom-Monkey
Chattering away in future tense.
I sweep away thoughts of dissolution.
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