The Leaving Season
 
It is the leaving season—
 
So why shouldn’t the rains assail us,
borne as they are in gathering clouds
above our stubbled and forgotten fields?
 
Why shouldn’t crook-backed trees stagger
under the weight of tears pumped
through the delicate veins of leaves?
 
Why shouldn’t the river flood
disgorging bleached logs, clots of grass,
and the unrecognizable canker?
 
Why shouldn’t geese assemble and grumble
as they [...]