Lanterns
They sleep peacefully here,
hiding silvery secrets
under thick, worn skin
A whisper emerges
from shadows,
among rows of granite
Quivering souls— now stilled
The spirit of outstretched
hands shakes in all seasons
I feel the grip of hope,
salute the courageous,
these lanterns
whose lights still burn
these everleaves,
stark and tall, like the tree.
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© Prasanta, June 2012
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Inspired by the poem “American Beech Tree” by Patricia Cook
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