Richard Luftig
White Peonies
The wild geese announce
Themselves in a winter sky.
They call off their numbers
Like soldiers in formation.
I listen and remember
Then look at the clothes
Scattered on the floor by my bed.
Which to wash, which to rinse.
A full morning of mindfulness.
It is like a farmer’s dream
From which he first awakes:
Acres upon acres of white;
Snow wall and snow fence.
Remembrance of early grass
That wither and pass away.
And the peonies
That still grow unattended
In my fallow garden.
In spring they will show their heads,
In autumn leave their souls behind.
White Peonies
The wild geese announce
Themselves in a winter sky.
They call off their numbers
Like soldiers in formation.
I listen and remember
Then look at the clothes
Scattered on the floor by my bed.
Which to wash, which to rinse.
A full morning of mindfulness.
It is like a farmer’s dream
From which he first awakes:
Acres upon acres of white;
Snow wall and snow fence.
Remembrance of early grass
That wither and pass away.
And the peonies
That still grow unattended
In my fallow garden.
In spring they will show their heads,
In autumn leave their souls behind.
Richard Luftig is a former professor of educational psychology and special education at Miami University in Ohio now residing in California. His poems and stories have appeared in numerous literary journals in the United States and internationally (IN ACUMEN) in Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia. Two of his poems recently appeared in Realms of the Mothers: The First Decade of Dos Madres Press. His latest book of poems will be forthcoming from Unsolicited Press in 2019. His webpage and blog may be found at richardluftig.com