as if one summer night would
stop to kiss the cheek of winter
winter
my sandaled feet chill,
awash in starlight
the waves, like a slivered memory
pure and silver,
carry the faint heartbeat
of many things come and gone
summered waters blow through
their courses of hair
in soft syllables to the ear
they touch stones of fire
alive in the eyes of the mind
how many hearts or ripples
of moonlight have walked here?
here, where new clouds breach
ancient skies and stones
of rivers of many things
come and gone
smooth and silver are the drops
of time, which wash
slivered memories
of summer
by the light of a cool moon