Golden petals
“Are you sad, my friend?”
Asked a voice behind me.
Startled, I turned away from my screen
Startled, but not scared, for it was soft, comforting voice
It was the amaltas tree outside my window.
“We too grieve,” whispered the amaltas
“Ours too go too early, sometimes,
Uprooted by a storm, felled by one of your axes
We grieve its passing, yes, but we remember it too
Smiling in the bloom of summer, blushing in the rains, patient through winter
Excited by the sun, calmed by the moon
Living life to the full, not fearing the future
And as we grieve, we also thrive in these memories
As must you.”
I had no words, only tears in my eyes
It must have noticed, and gave itself a gentle shake
A gust of wind, equally observant, blew towards me
And a shower of golden petals floated in through my window.
In memory of those who have passed away, and in gratitude to the amaltas tree outside my window.
(May 2021, in the wake of COVID 2nd wave)
