Given Away
By Peter Lederman
Spread your wings and slowly light
Upon the branch that holds my gaze
And stills the now and captures time
That overshadows all my days
Time’s so patient but regards us not
It waits for return of truth that holds
It feels more deeply than we can know
It fears not fall or winter’s snow
The world creates such a fearful din
But silence rules what we hold dear
It clears the air, it’s peace within
It’s closer than what we hold near
When stars seem fixed to hold in place
When evening deer come to borrow fields
When morning’s light contains more grace
Than my heart can grasp or my will can wield
In silent rains I hear your singing
When leaves’ hands move in visible breath
When snowdrops rise, foretell of bringing
My heart is risen as life from death
So search each shell upon the sand
Listen close for the love of day
And return each jewel that seems at hand
None can be kept till it’s given away
Peter Ledermann is an engineer and inventor who has been writing poetry that he “receives spontaneously” since he was 9 years old. A part-time resident of West Tisbury, he is a member of the Cleaveland House Poets, and has published one book of poems, illustrated with his own watercolors.
Poets with a connection to Martha’s Vineyard are encouraged to submit poems to curator Laura Roosevelt at ldroosevelt@gmail.com.