Weeping Tree, Vincent van Gogh, 1889. Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
& the trees gleam wetly under the luminous clouds
& through a water-ribboned window a child draws pictures
& the child draws the man as a winter tree with the moon above
& draws the moon as hollow
& hollow describes everything we ever loved
& boats houses hearts coffins graves ourselves each other
& the trees must feast on the fallen
& turn sunlight into children
& we are 99% tree
& our children are composed and grown in the dark
& the man is therefore only 1% moon
& the worshipful company of parish clerks counts the dead
& 220 from suddenly
& the moon perches on the tree’s fragile stalk
& one from bedridden
& the moon causes lunacy
& 218 from that
& the man has small hollow moons for eyes
& a falling leaf instead of a smile
& twigs instead of fingers
& the child draws the spiked inscrutable sun
& it’s going down
& only 17 from grief