I almost pass it by,
its autumn moon above
damp leaves, its aquiline,
symbol-cratered face.
No sun shining down
through the matted branches
but I feel a shadow lift
looking at the gnomic
inscriptions, the numerals,
the careless, glittering deities
in eternal sunlight, moving
above our half-lit world.
I imagine dappled leaves,
the trees above in blossom
till dampness creeping up
my trousers bring me back
to a less illustrious time.
I notice the ravages
of visiting birds, the weeds
growing in sodden chains.
I check my watch, returning
to the gnawing tedium
of my tethered life,
the long walk home.