Clairvoyance

Tumbling down the triumph of the stairs,
Outshone by dozens of flamboyants
And even by the plastic chairs
That corroborate our fashion sense,

Overshadowed by the bas relief
Of a designer’s splashy hand,
Discreetly trips a tiny leaf,
Pink as the imported sand,

Transparent as a coral bay
And weathered with the ocean’s stains,
Held against enormity of day
To justify the decorator’s pains.

Anse des Cayes, St. Barth’s
May 20th, 1995