There was so much worthy of attention.
The slightest angles of sun
In the crux of evening
Causing the leaves to shine,
Or filling the city with such exquisite light
That even the rooftops
Shimmered into flame.
There were the birds meandering home,
Needing no other comfort than the wind
Letting their songs float down like blessings.
But even amongst the unarguable splendor,
The ceaseless call to wonder,
The fullness of that loss grew fuller.
Like sand collapsing around the roots
Of a ripped-out cedar,
It swallowed the volcanic colors.
Not able to cope, or wrestle
With such enigmas,
You turned your back on what was given,
Unable even to bear that bright, empurpled sky.

Seth Jani currently resides in Seattle, WA and is the founder of Seven CirclePress. His own work has been published widely in such places as The Chiron Review, Pretty Owl Poetry, El Portal, The Hamilton Stone Review, Hawai`i Pacific Review, VAYAVYA, Gingerbread House, Gravel and Zetetic: A Record of Unusual Inquiry. Visit him at sethjani.com.