Mistletoe clusters

On tall bare wintry poplars,

Pale, poisoned berries

*

Sowing witches’ brooms

With Saturnalian seed

To spread love’s shrouding

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Solstice potency:

Nurturing nest, fast food for birds,

Spring’s bees, butterflies

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But all’s veiled, still, now—

This short midwinter moment

Death’s reared in beauty

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Breeds life in sticky

Clinging, skeletal branches,

Mistletoe clusters.

*

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