Gaywings bloom in May and into June,
thin blossoms, shorter than an ankle—
they often call as we walk past. Soon
they’ll be fading—we’ll be back to fulltime
jobs. We bend, admire purple fire
burning between a damp maple leaf
and a fern. Looking pale, we’re shyer
than they. In a week, they’ll come to grief.
originally appeared in Brittle Star (2004)
Ice and Gaywings 