rustling leaves
leave lingering pictures
of a babbling brook
under a leaning and twisted willow
whispering pines tell quiet tales
of squirrel forays
and moss expansion
while swaying gently
in breezes birthed in far off lands –
desert winds sweep
minuet particles of
ancient mountain ranges
and send them swirling on currents
driven by wind and waves
biting sand and snow
sting rosy cheeks
thousands of miles from the sun baked dunes
that gave life to the eroded –
migrating flocks sit locked
isolated and emaciated
waiting for paths to clear
and generational feeding grounds
to be open and thawed
tattered wings shield black eyes
and yellow beaks
from the grains blasting the land
after a global tour
floating on a cloud –