Red Leaves of Grief
Umbrella of grief floats in the wind.
Chanting monks run with deer through ancient sacred cedar forests.
Crimson maple leaves swirl in the wind around the sherbet orange pagoda.
It starts to rain, waking the still water and the longing in my heart.
I walked across the bridge of doubt, leaving behind old beliefs.
Beetles buzz around the velvet slumbering green trees and cherry blossom buds.
The forests reach for my hand and embrace my broken heart.
Swans glide near the glistening shore, perfecting their ballet with Mt. Fuji in the balcony, peeking from behind curtains of purple clouds.
At the final call, orange and red trees sway in the wind and bid Mt. Fuji goodnight.
Crimson covers the beating earth as a Samurai dressed in black walks back in time.
I climbed many stairs and mountains on my healing journey.
Waterfalls in the deep canyon console the weeping walls of grief.
I reach for my inner child’s hand and whisper, We made it to the healing falls.
Our hearts are free to roam with prancing deer.
We smile and think about the long journey.
A yellow blooming flower, bright as the sun, erupts from the earth and covers our eyes with satin petals of joy and “bliss.”