Willow

The willows sway
Like autumn breath
They are stooped
Like ungainly ancestors
Swinging and moving
Breaking their solitude
Following songs only they can hear
Another year passes
What we don't say is our absence
We are used to silence
It carries us into dreams
The rain beats on the window
A steady rhythm
A darkening day
We lie together in the red bed
Wondering
Keeping each other warm
Perhaps the wind will bring in new words
A different song
Perhaps tomorrow will be different
Although the repetition brings us peace
A solidity we cannot name
Do we have wishes
She asks
No more than a willow tree
I think
Water
Air
Earth
Leaves through which to breathe
Autumn wraps us up
Holds us steady
Carries our wishes on the breeze.