Keeping Things Real
The roses get pruned today.
For the next couple of months
They will fight back,
Into the unforgettable perfume
Of Spring. The cold preserves
This moment every year:
For example, last year
There was nothing here
But a promise and still
She decided to stay. She insisted
The cold kept things real,
And smiled at the permanence
In that simple thought.
Copyright © 2006 by Sam Pereira
Sam Pereira's books include: The Marriage of the Portuguese (L'Epervier Press, 1978), Brittle Water (Abattoir Editions/Penumbra Press, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1987), and A Cafe in Boca (Tebot Bach, 2007). An expanded edition of his first book is now available from Tagus Press at UMass, Dartmouth. Dusting on Sunday is just out (November, 2012) from Tebot Bach. He is married to the writer, Susan Graham Pereira.
