WHY

WHY
OF ALL THE LEAVES THAT FELL IN AUTUMN
THAT ONE TOOK MY EYE
PERHAPS IT WAS THE WAY IT FELL
RELUCTANT TO COME DOWN
SOARING HIGHER THAN THE TREE IT LEFT
WHIRLING AND WHIRLING UNTIL WITH ONE LONG GLIDE
IT SETTLED ON THE POND
MOVING ON THE WATER WITH THE BREEZE
THEY WILL NOT COME
THEY CANNOT COME
NOT EVEN IF WE CAME FOR THEM
THEY ARE SICK AT CHRISTMAS
AND CANNOT COME
MY PARENTS TO THE HOMECOMING
THE GATHERING OF THE CLAN
MY HOUSE THE LARGEST
THEY CANNOT COME
SOMEDAY I KNOW THE UMBILICAL CORD OF WHERE I CAME FROM
MUST BE CUT
AND I AM CHRISTIAN BORN AND BRED
AND DO BELIEVE
THAT LIFE FLOWS ON PAST DEATH
BUT THERE IS THAT PART OF ME THAT CRIES OUT STOP
STOP CLOCKS AND TIDES AND SEASONS ROLL
LET IT ALWAYS BE SPRING
OR AT LEAST AUTUMN
FOR AUTUMN IS WHERE THEY ARE
LATE AUTUMN
BUT DO I REALLY WISH THIS FOR MY FATHER
HE WHOM I FEARED THEN LOVED THEN WORRIED OVER LIKE A BABY
SHALL I KEEP HIM LATE IN AUTUMN
AND MY MOTHER GENTLE WITCH
DRUID PRIESTESS FROM ANOTHER TIME
PROTECTOR OF LIFE TEACHER OF ROBINS TO FLY
MAKER OF WHO I AM
SHOULD SHE STAY IN AUTUMN
DOES SHE NOT YEARN ONCE MORE TO BE JOINED TO MOTHER EARTH
TO CHANGE TO TRANSMUTE HER LIFE
TO BECOME TREES AND FLOWERS AND FLOWING GRASS
MY MOTHER EVER YOUNG
SHOULD SHE STAY IN AUTUMN
I THINK WHAT FRIGHTENS ME MOST
IS THAT WHEN THEY'RE GONE
I SHALL HAVE NO HISTORY
OR IS IT THAT I SHALL BE PROMOTED TO THEIR PLACE
AS ELDEST OF THE LINE
I'M SURE THIS CHRISTMAS WILL BE WARM
THE CLAN GATHERING LIKE MANY CANDLES
COMING TO MAKE A FIRE

THAT WE WILL CALL MY PARENTS ON CHRISTMAS EVE
AND WISH THEM WELL
MAKE PLANS FOR OUR VISIT
BUT KNOWING ME
THERE WILL BE A TIME ON CHRISTMAS EVE
WHEN I SHALL DRAW THE CURTAINS ON THE HOUSE
SIT BY THE FIRE
AND TRY TO GET WARM