Twenty Four Days in December (2)

Leaves in Berlin

What a lovely adjective is ‘deciduous’

More sensual than ’pine’ or ‘coniferous’

A word rolling and laughing from our cold hued lips

From me to you and back, a fleet sweet juncture round, found and lost

Together we walk in love and foliage

Looking for seeds, ferns and squirrels

Both old and young, once and forever

Under trees made mute by frost, we hold

A minute of silence in respect for the fallen

Each following time’s arrow in one universe

A moment arrested in winter woodland’s ochre grasp

While summer’s corpse rests light beneath our feet

There is no sadness in our walk

For as autumn follows summer

Next snowdrop white will call winter’s passing

And so with studied pace and steady tread

Off road in forgotten flowers’ sleeping bed

We enter winter through summer’s abandoned leaves.

George Roberts 2017