Oak

Above

In unwavering lines of flight
Egrets
Point their arrows home

Below
In moist ground
Earthworms writhe
And hum their soilsongs

The wolf leaves the path
To talk horse to the herd
That can’t be bothered to listen

In the fork of the tree
Lies the body of the crow
Where I left her two years ago
Dry empty sockets see everything
But say nothing

See there how the moon hangs
Half-way to fullness
Between bare Ash branches
While, far from home
The sausage tree sends tender shoots
Into the winter chill
Breaking the rules

The lake shows the mountain her twin
Backwards
All is still
Then splash!
A wolf-plunge shatters the mirror
Rearranging the light

Crow calls from the other side
I go
A smouldering fire surrounds a tree
Roots steeped in dreams and darkness
Branch antennae sweep the sky
The tree stands tall
Unscorched by heat and flame
Lush, strong