Redbud trees spread
their scarlet riot
in back of the house,
volcanic bursts of
pea-sized blooms
smother the limbs
that reach for
our second-floor window.
They sing a rowdy gospel
peer inside the bedroom
exchange the stale sleep
and cast-off dreams,
desires so grand
they spin the ceiling
with silver strands of dust,
dog hair, and dementia.
Wake up and fall in line
worn soldier of love.
Wake and surrender.
Tim Louis Macaluso is an openly gay poet, writer, and award-winning journalist. He has worked in media for much of his career. He was a long-time staff writer for CITY Newspaper in Rochester, NY, where he wrote extensively about education, health care, and local politics.
