Let memories share 
     in what they cannot answer
bringing forth what is left
to the back of the mind


A child
     gone lone to the grove
     beneath trees with dense branches
     that the sunlight barely breaks through
          where wind cannot
     and just enough to illuminate shadows of this youth
               taking in the perfume of the nectar
                                                dripped to the ground
                                      in mindful breathes
     Singing rhymes to the dream of love
     Kneeling to the fixed ground
     Balanced prayers for dignity
          and the lastings of youth
     And in a final naive wonder
     takes a bite of the sweet fruit
     to cut the agony of becoming a man


                                             -Dylan Wahl

                                               copyright 1997