i did not expect it,
for how could i, the golden tunes
maple leaves, colored bright
and fleeting, a gentle breeze
under the glow of a lantern light,
a pair of butterflies:
their wings flicker
and dissipate
and i breathe another breath
in this lifetime,
and my heart is heavy from the rain
of the funeral of a friend
the flashing white wings
the halo across the threads
the strong steel strings
the swaths of faded red
and i remember the winter days
my hands tucked in the wooden
grooves, i weaved a tapestry
from the remnants of a season
shining colors, battered by time
comes back to echo in my ears
the sweet song of someone
i didn’t think i’d hear again,
it broke free and shattered
shards of amber on the ground
against the light: iridescent wings
fluttering slowly into the clouds.