A Poem by Julia Ponder
This will not be the last
congregation of sparrows
to gather in the empty winter orchard,
and comb in it for left behind skins and stems;
each picks and plucks
between the muddy aisles of apple trees
scanning the scripture of dirt for
secret thawed places hidden in snow
where their answered prayers lie.
This will not be the last
gust of wind that sends them off again
in search of warmer places and higher things.
Julia Ponder is a poet and teacher living in the Hudson Valley region of New York. Her poetry and creative non-fiction have been published in several print and online publications, including Chronogram, 805Lit, Shawangunk Review, THAT Magazine, and The Sonder Review.