Proclamation (after Billy Collins)

“..You are the dew in the morning grass

and the burning wheel of the sun..” ~~ Billy Collins

You are the dew in the morning grass

and the burning wheel of the sun.

You are the plane ticket to Istanbul

and the red wheelbarrow in the rain.

However, you are not the bushel of October apples,

the shopping list on the kitchen counter,

nor the movie we watched last night.

And surely you are not the cabin in the forest.

It is impossible that you are the cabin in the forest.

It could be that you are the lilies lazing in the pond,

perhaps even the café on the foreign plaza,

but never shall you be the rainstorm on the mountain.

Your reflection in the storefront window shows

you neither are the kayak floating swiftly on the stream

nor the neck of the single swan in moonlight.

You might wonder how of the world’s plethora of images

I however am the BIC pen scribbling along a blank page

and the chagrin of lukewarm coffee in a favorite cup.

I may also be the soft comfort of the bathrobe,

the airline’s app today not working

and the bag of tangerines at bottom of the frig.

I am also the unwashed Honda in the driveway,

the Melaleuca freshly pruned,

but never the poem pilfered from Billy Collins.

But let us be clear as the ring of a bell at dusk,

you are and shall remain the dew on the morning grass

and the burning wheel of the sun,

and also let us not forget, these wildflowers sprinkled

like candles or favorite candies across the morning grass.