Betrayed

The seed, pale and smooth,

Senses the receding chill of winter,

The warm whisper of seasonal change.

Drinking in the tears of dissolving snow,

A stalk slowly bears a bud upwards.

The leaves part, and the flower shows her face,

Wrinkled, like newly formed butterfly wings.

A gentle breeze causes the blossom to quiver,

Shivering as she glances about.

But, surrounding, there is nothing but dirt,

Dead grass,

And leafless trees.

The expected blooming brethren

Remain hidden in the earth,

Not yet trusting that Winter

Has signaled the inevitable retreat.

Anticipation begins to freeze into apprehension

As a cloud steals away the sunlight.

Petals, so newly formed, begin to shrivel.

The temperature drops, and as it falls,

It drags the bloom down as well,

Her stalk bowed in defeat.

The wind spawns silent flurries,

The flakes gently adhering

To the blossom's swiftly freezing figure--

They form a grave, a tribute to trust,

And a warning against it.

Reviews

[Skoo.]

Still brilliant, I see.

Your short stories are indeed more biting than your poems, but your poems are more imagey and glowy (to use the technical terms).

"Anticipation begins to freeze into apprehension" I loved the use of two words in one line that sound similar but oppose each other in meaning.
I swear you're some kind of human thesaurus.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are a artist with words. I had to read the poem a few times. I like the way you led me into the flow of life and how Nature's life know their places. Thank you for the outstanding poem.
Coyote