Simple

Simple

’Tis the gift to be simple ~ Shaker song

The sea seems simple in our sight today.

The waves, if varied, do not vary much.

They come and go.  They come and go.  The way

The sun comes up is ordinary, such

As many days before.  Of course it finds

The mountain first, but vacantly.  Meaning

Defers here, just the sun.  So?  The sun grinds

Another morning blank.  It’s demeaning

Upon the slope where cherry trees are seen.

A few pale petals, white, wait still for breath,

The breath of something other that might glean

Them for eternity.  They get mere death.

  The waves conceal immensest slaughters.  Sun

    And light find doom.  The daybreak comes to stun.

Phillip Whidden