mesquite tree, image from Pixabay
Old Graves
Who, where and when—
Matters of fact
Carved in low-grade marble
Assert that death’s permanent.
But even such deep letters
Wear too thin to read
In time—as if memory
Has only been penciled in.
*
Mesquite
Branches the color of burnt bone,
but flaky, with leaves
a dull and lifeless green,
dusted with ashes.
But nothing here is more alive.
Its roots, deeper than despair,
find water where there is no water.
And it’s enough.
____________________
Don Thompson has been writing about
the San Joaquin Valley for over fifty years,
including a dozen or so books and chapbooks.
A San Joaquin Almanac won the Eric Hoffer
Award for 2021 in the chapbook category.
For more info and links to publishers, visit
his website at: www.don-e-thompson.com