equinox

OH YES

Oh no --
now we're in for it, everything's
slamming shut,
closing shop, the leaves on the cottonwood
are crying
fuck it and letting go in the wind, the cold

is coming, winter storms are massing at sea,
morning ice on the deck and the dog skids off
in a blur of legs, then it rains and rains
and rains,

and the plague is upon us, strange fevers
and aches,
the body spilling out, impossible to ignore,
you're in a machine consuming itself,
and this morning walking out, you look

at the persimmon tree
for the first time in weeks
and notice all the leaves are gone, and there they are --
persimmons -- fiery globes, hosannas and lauds,
and you can't help yourself, admit it, even sick

and miserable,
mired in the dreck of winter,
you reach out your hand,
take hold of the fruit,
oh yes, there's another world, there's a sun

within the sun, yes,
kindness is real,
oh yes, blessings are everywhere.

Joseph Stroud