At Jephson, 17/01/22

Passing through these Gardens –
A gap has appeared in my chain
Of activity, the spare hours
Gifted and under my custody.
They feel weighted with abundance
And furnished with relief.

Ducks sporting in the gentle ponds:
Some lovingly half-capsizing
In service of filial joy.
Squirrels scale the passive trees,
Their enlivened velocity expressed
By the terse sounds of rustled leaves.

Newborn families strolling paths
That have restored their fascination.
Fresh, buoyant eyes reveal
The mild wonder the earth’s blessed:
The limitless shards of grass
Or the pigeon’s whimsical strut.

Bearers of engraved love sit contently.
Age has shown that beauty
Lies in life’s natural processes:
Watching vigorous, fledgling souls
Make a day of the crested sun,
That richly releases golden hues,
Spiting the season of biting air.