On silent trees

On silent trees, on hanging breeze,
On sun’s shared moments shaping these
A river’s rush cools dappled leaves,
Cast in a myriad dancing forms
Across the clouded azure bed
That nestles soft above my head
And holds no hint of summer storms
Or how dark winter’s wrath performs,
But keeps a silent peace instead:

Yet though the air is still and crickets sing,
My thoughts turn back, and worse hours spring to mind -

And contemplation turns to fire each sting,
And whips my savage soul to cringe, then shift its fling
From such bleakness with a shrug -
‘Tis too terrible:

I find myself again, and mind the time,
And settle down to hear life’s brief rhyme and ring.

Sept. 00