The Judas tree
has lost an arm
children swing on the other one
a third crawls on the ground

tonight in place of the children
others will swing
will laugh
the laughter will cease fire will take hold of the grass
a lost sandal clasp will brand someone
and will glow against the moon
caught with two fingers

today at the onset of September
when the children climb desperately
and it smells of iodine
I learn from mothers devoted to dendrology
that on the tree, we’ve never been alone
and won’t be

-Daniela Mihaleva,
translated from the Bulgarian
by Katerina Stoykova-Klemer
The Season of Delicate Hunger
(Accents Publishing)