party tree

The chestnut tree 

hung with paper lanterns strung 
through its canopy spread 

with fat, white stars -

Making shadow webs stretch, intershift
and connect in leaf and branch swaying
through white-flamed dark 

It's a place we would meet 
in some strange, shared dream. 

Who dressed it up beautifully? 
We don't know.

All we know when we see those lights
spreading out and above, walking in
from each side, catching eyes: is this.

So long as we stray, so long as those
lanterns are lit, it can never be day. 
It would stay this night, only always 
this night, going never amiss.