Second Avatar, One

Earl Pascoe,
Of Love and Pink Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums weigh on the bower’s bend
And frame two birds long claimed by love and sky;
That sky is sun and white as they ascend
Towards its last in answer to a sigh.
Chrysanthemums droop low within the night
And through them two small birds are heard by two
Who wander near to steal a kiss in flight
Before the crested glow of dawn cracks through.
Chrysanthemums fall still while day and dark
And sun and moon, in rise and fall to rise,
Too quickly work their long persistent arc
As lovers linger on their long goodbyes.
Chrysanthemums weigh on some hearts today,
And droop and fall while birds and lovers play.