Moods

This is a poem that I wrote some time in 1994. It followed a walk that I took on that same night.

I took a walk--
I don't know why,
To see the trees
Side by side:

They stood there staring or
Sleeping,
Not caring.

Two black shadows dark
But firm
Stood their ground or
Must have learned
That in the night by
Clouded moonlight
I'd come walking
To catch the sight
Of two dark lovers
Or swarthy brothers

Both there standing,
Each alone
But there together in place like stone.

Below my feet and beneath
The trunks of two great trees,
I saw a dark spot on the ground:
Black oil dark spot,
Small and round.

I could not wait by the phone all night,
So there I stood
On a dark spot
With none but these two trees in sight.
What they mean
Or why I am here but there,
I just can't say
But at these two silhouettes I'd stare.

Ask me not of
The oil spot or of
Birds in winter trees--
The ones that stood before me then
Were never full of leaves.

I had seen much more
Than I thought I'd seen
On any night before
And all that came to mind was:
Why?
Simply put,
To save some time,
Without the trees, the spot, the night,
I'd wait too long and never die.

So take the time to see dark trees,
It doesn't matter how--
For any better time to look
Or know
May as well be now.

© Copyright 1994 Jason J. Loya