I look at the yellow grass,
the stagnant pool of water.
If I squint, they are the heads of daisies
and a pond hiding tadpoles
and lotus buds.
But the bare-limbed tree
with its slender nude branches
begs me for invisible clothes;
these, I cannot fashion.
Perceptions shatter
When no longer viewed by the gaze of love
Rosy innocence severed by the paramour
Who seduced and abandons
On tin stars the spotlight shines
To blind the eyes
And give free reign to imagination
That smile might hold a thousand words
That dream made of cardboard
Takes on shadow and depth
And for a moment, breathes dragon’s fire
RED GLADIOLA 