a leaf on the water
is a leaf on the water
he reaches through his reflection
for a leaf at the bottom
of a puddle
what one values
determines its worth
in his notebook
an old man finds a flower
she gave him years ago
the past holds regret
the present’s perfect
he hears Dr. Williams sigh
like rain water glazed
across his memory
a last aspirated gasp
rose like a dove falling
death slips quickly
into place alive
then not like that
each day the pattern persists
yet still we act surprised
lost in thought
during his long commute
he suddenly arrives home
the sun rises the sun sets
noticed or unnoticed
he bundles up
as the temperature drops
a mockingbird sings nearby
“You don’t know what you’re missing now
any little song that you know”
–Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, The Song Remains the Same
(January 6, 2017)
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