Modern Murasaki

Laurie Joan Aron

Dry oak leaves cling to spring branches as I cling to sadness,
Perpetuating winter in a season of movement.

Were a cut branch of plum blossom to rest in a vase on a
Low table in my bedroom, I think life would be tranquil.

How like me to purchase shorn spring in a shop,
Seeking stasis, and neglecting the buds within.