November 2, 2019

my pipe’s warm stem

slow burns its coals inside my hand

holding first this pipe, then this pen

I’d been outside in sunlight

stood a moment to admire pink blossoms

on a rhododendron in November
beside

a maple tree its leaves bright red

soon to fall

A train taking coal en route to China
passed this way again today.

I’d heard they’d stopped.

So that’s not true.

Dick Russell © 2019