The horizon spills onto trees
where amber
turns to periwinkle
past railroad tracks
I dream of branch climbing
in sun and sky
The train’s behind schedule

You promised to guard my dreams
if I slept under a promising evergreen
or sycamore
I kept an eye open long enough
To see my dreams drip from leaves

In the distance,
a lover’s kiss on the bench
tastes of tobacco and peppermint
the cardinals and crossbills agree
that the cold blankets of winter
are a fair trade-off
for midsummer’s alfalfa and apple blossoms