practice

 practice

for L

we collect the leavings

absence of chlorophyll and 

imperceptibly a gnarl comes

to branches fortunate enough

to live

a hardening off of memory

sap flows but more slowly

and the bark of knowing, bitter

(glimpses of tapped sweetness in our wintering)

must we watch the razored-mind soften and

return to earth?

such gracious rage attends this "yes"

each autumn the way of

practice

-ls 5.27.25