Four Changes

The second year of our marriage, Cactus bloom in the high desert, Eyes of orchids and roses, We lived on spring buds, Made love in the green of fields, And the lion’s roar called, As the night passed. Our souls entwined With the cave of winds, We felt the sun spread warmth, Caught dew in our cups, And the laugh of the sheep, Ran through the earth. Now, the mountains call, At the dusk of old tales, In the dark oblivion of time, Remembering all we are to be.

• Gary Snyder