i. like generations of men at war

ii. not in twos or threes, but like whole maples
                  losing their gilt in one undulating day

iii. like children, leaving home

iv. like butterflies gusting in a lifting wind--
               just over your head,
                        just beyond your hand

v. like the reddened applause
                     --autumn moving in

vi. like the death of your grandfather

vii. like comets trailing our atmosphere,
                 leaving falling stars

viii. like silent prayers for a world of peace

ix. like the fateful curve of an egg

x. like rainbows, offering their many colors

xi. like old lovers, faces aging in yellowing photographs

xii. like concertos dropping modulated notes in air

xiii. like the world itself, turning life and death
                  in this ambiguous dance, our home