REACHING FOR GOD
Outside my window
a woman is climbing
on my old oak tree
as doves on branches
sing a mourning song.
Leaves join Gospel chords
of a Pentecostal lament.
The trunk of the tree
pulsates in a base rhythm.
A pair of old squirrels
shed noticeable tears.
At the top of the tree
the woman asks God
for forgiveness and mercy
for jumping off the tree
since she could not live
without her loving mate
who died a few days ago.