Leaves

First dream of autumn:

dead leaves from an almond tree

fall in my basket.

Dreams

A blooming plum tree

keeps appearing in my dreams

on the coldest nights.

first nap of summer—

a migrant fresh out of work

dreams of picking corn

faded photograph—

seventy summers ago

her dream-catching eyes

fragments of my dream

slipping from the raven’s beak

at first light of day

the deepening night—

under leaf and stone the ants

twitching as they dream