The Last Leaf
First published in Frogpond 13:1, February 1990. The “empty swings” verse also appeared in After Shock (San Francisco: Two Autumns Press, 1990). The entire sequence later appeared in Tremors (Foster City, California: Press Here, 1990). See the Press Here page for the book where this sequence appears. See an Italian translation of this sequence by Lucia Fontana. See also my “Holes in the Awning” haibun.
after the quake
the weathervane
pointing to earth
autumn sun
amid the rubble
quaking aspen
after the quake
candlelight dinner
aftershock
tripping on the flashlight
in the dark
another victim—
laying the body bag
on the flower bed
aftershock
empty swings
swaying
nightfall
the last leaf
trembles