Salinger by Cecilia Thomas

In a time of nothing,
Halfway between then and then,
A gong sounds dimly,
Beckoning out into the frosty yonder
Tattered marigold petals

Bracketed by a fading summer palm.
Awakening to the sombient spring,
Aspirations veiled in a shadow of white
Remain without regret.
Cloaked in the mirage,
Revelling in the stillness of the cool,
The unobstructed loneliness is
At once
Metamorphosed into an honorary peace.
Sought out by many,
Yet
Venerated by few.

The marigold ushered between the palms
Exits graciously without a word,
Leaving the breath-
That ellipsis-
Behind it,
It unfolds and blossoms into a pinnacle of silence.

The plights of yesteryear are harvested for store,
Discrediting the death that is to come
In favor of the happiness that,
Ever rarely,
Swells to an undulating fable.

I am happy,
And,
At once,
Unashamed
Of the happenstance of joy,
I smile.