Day 363: Winter Growth

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∴

in the spring
i burn the winter growth.

i call it winter growth,
but it did not grow in winter.

it grew wild and green,
unpruned and blooming,
in the hot and thirsty days
and died at last
under mounds of ice
and white tears.

it is dusted by the seasons preceding
and drowned in sun-washed brown.

the fires burn for hours
and slow
so that they do not flare
and spread
and singe
that which would grow again.

 

it is necessary

 

else i cannot take these seedlings –
sweet,
tender,
fragile
inside dwellers,
looking out at partial suns
and waxing moons
from the windows of glass houses –
and set them out

in the open.

∴

 

 

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