Jordan Smith

 

 

The Flute Is Zero

 
Cold Front

 

 

The young maple outside my window’s contorting
In the wind.  Oh, it’s a dance—disfiguring and anguished
In the way of nature imitating art, which imitates
What we believe’s our nature.  I don’t know.  A tree
Grows resilience so it can suffer this, but suffering
Should have its ends, and this is just a change
In local weather: storm warnings until noon, partial
Clearing then, a night’s first frost.  Left to its own
Devices, a tree's a beautiful thing, not this riven
Splayed creature, and of course sympathy like this
Is recursive, sentimental.  You know
What I’m going to say next.  It’s almost Fall.

 


 

 

 


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