I observed these ornamental branches
bought from one of those shops
that sell rapidly decaying
beauty reaped from
nature

but this time it was
different
no
petals
were falling
no heads slowly
curving towards the top
of an ornamental table towards
the bottom of an ornamental vase or even
towards the surface of the floor we scuttle upon

this time
the vase sported branches
from dragon’s claw willows
and those dragons’s claws
don’t faint
when they are cut from their roots
instead they sprout
into hope

light green like foresight
fresh green like spring
these leaves are sprouting
against the greyish white
of those snow-colored walls

Daniel Graziadei 2018