year’s end
a letter marked
return to sender

-John Pappas

memorial garden
a favorite teacher’s
last lesson

-John Pappas

last night’s dream
fading in the sun
blue hydrangeas

-John Pappas

epiphany
a suddenness
of sparrows

-John Pappas

dropping blossoms
how little of this world
is ours

-John Pappas

tall oak
the son I could
have been

-John Pappas

filmstrip flutter the white light at the end of the

baby’s breath —
we always thought
we’d have more time

-John Pappas

fossil galaxy
headlights speed
from dark to dark

-John Pappas

overnight snow
on the baker’s forehead
a smudge of flour

-John Pappas