Seasons – Page 68 – Iron Haiku

all the leaves scattered
standing despite itself but
rotten at the core
–
a forest altar-
oaken pews
standing empty

hundreds of candles-
an unlit testament to
this empty vigil
–
tumbled stone-
autumn’s first light
warms the piazza

soft leather armchairs-
whispers of conversations
too quiet to hear
–
a lone robin-
her tweets
unread

a warm summer eve
mists gather in pools that drip
from the temple roof
–
temple stairs-
stone dragons
cloaked in moss

monsters in my head
clamor at the gates of hell
screaming to be let out
–
the hiss of rain-
slow scratching
under my bed

the sun reaches down
and kisses the horizon
at the dawn of dusk
–
spreading warmth-
two more fingers
of liquid gold

the edge of the moon
nicks the night sky and reveals
the bare hint of light
–
cloaked in darkness-
betrayed by
a cigarette

shut in this fortress
long days spent looking over
my kingdom of sand
–
rising tides-
my castle begins
to crumble

hallucinations-
my ephemeral partners
along for the ride
–
water lilies-
a pond dimpled
by dragonflies

clear azure waters
tropical sun overhead
melting my resolve
–
bronzed skin-
one more glass
of dutch courage