Tripped into sunlight
stone reveals itself
as fragment of claw
still digging at the spot
where it was abandoned
On my knees
in rusted pine needles
and copper leaves
I finger its smooth veneer
and puzzle what attack
separated it from its body
Above me the fragile limbs of aspens
sway in warm winds that suck
what’s left of hope
from bones of bent men
who walk alone in worn jackets
and muddy shoes,
we who wonder what will finally
hunt us down,
if any part of ourselves
will be scattered behind
to be found by those
who wander behind us
through desiccated debris
on autumn trails,
if our only legacy will be
what we have lived
and kept for our own
in a last moment of light