(Written October 1981.)

Who put the light bulbs in these trees?

Look at that–
    it’s glowing from inside–
    translucent pumpkin orange–
    burning fire-yellow–
    flaming engine-red–
    spring-stream, yellow-green.

This is a neon woods,
    painted up too garishly
    to be natural.

Is this symbolic or surreal?

It’s surely overpowering–
    eye-smacking,
    breath-oohing,
    lookitthat-wowing.

Take a picture–
    blink, blink, blink–
    grey-matter cameras 
    hoping to preserve these
    house-high fireballs.
    Summer exploding into winter.

Don’t pull the plug on this, not yet;
    leave the tree-lights burning
    till my awe stops.

Text and image © 2025 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.

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