Miriam T. and Jude M. Pfister Poetry Prize, 2017

 

 

On the day the world ends

everyone sees abundant leaves

and the shadowed tree trunks

 

and everyone sees the small pools in the creek,

covered with willow branches,

Familiar but still wonderful

 

and everyone sees the lighter-flames of fireflies

Igniting against the felted night.

 

And all this, maybe for the first time.

And then everyone breathes in.