A valley near Écoust

Sweet scent of cherry
drifting over orchard walls
down in the valley

Coming for the trees
youth and its tender blossom
the unsuspecting

Silent veil of white
beneath the feet of soldiers
how quickly they go

Breeze stirs up petals
as brother dies for brother
the cost of a war

Among fallen trees
a waste so clear it mocks me
rotting cherry pits

Eternal pursuit
of glory, power and gain
what am I left with?

Hope for tomorrow
faith in a greater meaning
love for my people

Of faith, hope and love
the greatest of these is love
we grow through our pain

When all hope seems lost
remember; from fallen pits
more trees grow anew

by Bianca Michelle Rasmussen, 2020.