Among Post Oaks

But if the brown leaves had not

released from

every branch and twig

to disassemble the canopy,

which now looms gnarled 

and blunted

and exposed

and monochrome

in the morning,

You would not have seen

through them 

the brilliance of the sun

at the horizon 

with blinding

layered complexion

of peach 

and grapefruit 

and mango

Rays reaching your chest

invite you to rest

in this lonely season

still offering watercolor

fit for a storybook

sunrise centerfold

(but only to those

who choose to

look ahead).