Poem 306

Against the odds a casual relationship survives the winter …

( I love the rag of sunlight and the cat rolling in it, the images of leaves as both tea coupons (now extinct) and indicators (I was thinking of the stubby mechanical arms on volkswagons – also now extinct) … a similar theme is expressed in Rod Stewart’s song Mandolin Wind … )

Making It Through

the anaemic tree outside your window
never shook off all its leaves for winter
as if it was afraid it would forget
what they looked like
and botch it up in spring
                                                  we watched 
through your window
waiting for barrenness
for the tree to spike against the glass
saying
               doesn't this depress you?

but there never came a time
we couldn't say
                                 there's one
                                 and another
tagged like tea coupons 
on a nail

then abruptly out of winter 
when a cat in your backyard
caught a rag of sunlight 
and rolled in it
everywhere on the tree leaves
flicked out like indicators
and we never saw our few fall

if I knew which ones
I would pick them
                                     give a leaf to me
                                     one to you
and at times like this
clink them together
like glasses