An evergreen sheds its skin
Down foaming trails in a waterway.
They glide around, softly landing
On waves of white that never stay.
Through iron bars they differentiate
Between possibility and impermanence.
They bid farewell on a timely sail
That should be joyous but never is.
Flickering about like an oil lamp
In winded nights in a wretched haze,
Struggling to grasp similarity within
Discouragement and forgotten days.
To try and catch them, heavy walking
On the sidewalk, jumping cracks in the concrete;
Running faster, towards assurance
Of two things I know will never meet.
They disappear right past the shoreline
In inanition, pale and off; just destitute.
The charging stops to fall and weep
For some random petals that I never knew.