The wind descended from the west
To rattle the orchard trees.
Dogtags nailed to apples and plums
Rang out like wine flutes struck
At the marriage table. The star-white blossoms
Let go their limbs and laid themselves
As if for a funeral across the river,
The gush of spring, the railing wind,
The ringing of the trees so loud,
Not a one of us could make out
The nuthatches and cardinals who battled
The wind to take their place
Among the stars
And throat their song.
Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum is an author, editor, & ghostwriter. He is Author of two poetry collections, Visiting Hours & Ghost Gear; Acquisitions Editor for Upper Rubber Boot Books; Founder and Editor of PoemoftheWeek.com and The Floodgate Poetry Series; and professor of creative writing at Colorado Community College. Learn and read more at AndrewMK.com.