Poetry Pick

WHEN THE DECIDUOUS DECIDE

by David Hillen (1941-2005)
Ontario, Canada


each fall to do their own thing
throw their final party
it's strictly for the in-group:
The Ironwoods
The OaksThe Maples
The BeechesThe Birches,
Mr. and Mrs. Sumac
-even The Wide Toothed Aspens
-and The Shag Bark Hickories
(if they haven't gone south yet)
know they are welcome
to make the scene:
do their colourful high air fling:
reflect strobes of light against stark fall sky
like wind and sun dapple water in summer.

The Beeches often arrive in their most fashionable yellow
The Birches compete with their sportiest orange
A few come in brown, some still in green - like The Oaks
always slow to change from their summer attire;
this fall, many - Maples ever mellow - come in mauve.

The Sumacs can be depended on for flare
showing up each year
in uneqivocal red
while The Tamaracks hesitate
whisper among themselves about being different
worry about what to wear.

The Conifers, uniformly green
with envy
are deliberately needled
left out, to look in at the party:
wondering what it must be like
to be deciduous and decide to
disrobe defiantly in the face of winter
throw off your green
cross-dress as multi-coloured flowers
send your leaves whirling dervishly through air

to, finally, when the party's over, cover the forest floor
like the train of an African Queen.

From The Open Window (Hiddenbrook Press, 2000)


 

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