It was the red of the berries that stopped me.
Not a minute ago I was ankle deep in the snow
that draped every inch of the land.
From the edge of the lake, the world looked
as if it had been drawn in charcoal on fine paper.
Now this! A collage of leathery leaf and snow crystal,
delicate as breath, gold needles and jade
and the lacquered red berries that, as I said,
caught my eye and stopped me in my tracks.
Imagine what had to happen for this scene to be.
Soil, pine nut and acorn, and birds to carry them
to this exact spot, not to mention the years
and the rain. Everything. Everything.
And now it’s all come together in one small
work of art , a gift for those who can see.
That’s you, I imagine. And me.