Ecclesiastes 1

1
When I was young I thought
that if I could have one wish it would be wisdom

wisdom like the great maple in the front yard
trunk seven feet thick, branches spread wide
with only a few that were dead, like the grey laurals
of a seer's head

2
wisdom stands at the gate
and she spread her fingers and raises her palm
wisdom would ride astride the city of men

her roots the earth accepts, the sky her budding bless
like my maple

3
visiting my parents for the weekend I walked to the maple
and leaned against the immoble stem, bark beetle black, with bare boughs
dead against a sky whose whispers no longer lingered
but whistled by. I put out my hand with fingers spread
to climb and pulled back at the touch
of the decaying wet skin, oozing pale white as if from the very heart.

4
wisdom lies at the gate of a ghost town
head shaven and limbs lost
begging the circling seasons for their alms.