detaching
A snip, a slice–
One rose past its prime,
its petals turned sepia
and brittle
like parchment
left too near the hearth,
tips and tumbles
to thud in the dust
at my neighbor’s feet.
I watched her all morning
as she eyed the bush
not unlike the way a crow
inspects a squirrel carcass
squished on the street.
Three times her snips rose,
and thrice she relented,
retreating to survey the bush anew.
I finished two mugs of coffee
and one crossword puzzle
watching her seek
the perfect pruning position.
The bush, for its part, never flinched.
This warrior,
with her feints and posturing,
armored in her striped cloth gloves,
and flop-brimmed sun hat,
and flannel yard shirt,
glowered like crusaders of old,
the grim grime of eons
etched in wrinkles
on her face.
One snip.
One slice.
One step toward peace.
As always, the photo is my own. Heavily edited, of course.