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Jacaranda

22 September 2022

first, the flowers,
delicate miracles,
after erupting in a soft blaze of glory,
after feeding uncountable honeybees and hummingbirds and hungry human eyes,
fall slowly down to paint the streets amethyst

then, the pods,
earthly flying saucers,
after cooking from tender green to golden brown,
after delighting squirrels and songbirds and sharp human children,
meet the ground to share their curious treasure

then, the leaves,
ten-thousand hands,
after waving, a neighbor, to all passers-by,
after thanklessly, graciously, shading raccoons and beetles and humans on picnics,
migrate down as a feast for their comrades the fungi

then,
bones remain,
sleeping til spring to do it again