Translation

Where trees grow thick and tall
in the original woods
the older ones are not
allowed to fall but break
and lean into the arms
of neighbors, shedding bark
and limbs and bleaching silver
and gradually sinking piece
by piece into the bank
of rotting leaves and logs
to be absorbed by next
of kin and feeding roots
of soaring youth, to fade
invisibly into
the shady floor in their
translation to the future.

Copyright © 2005 Robert Morgan All rights reserved
from Smartish Pace
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission