My poem for Paul Brookes’ ekphrastic challenge. You can see the art and read the poetry here.

Now

Nothing lasts forever,
not roses or trees,
cathedrals, pyramids
or wind-sculpted monuments,
not rivers, not rocks
old as the world, lapped
by the waves’ rough tongues to sand.

Nothing lasts forever,
not sorrow, not love or hatred,
certainly not happiness,
not even pain,

so I will cherish this moment
of soft rain, the black, white and red
rat-a-tat-tat woodpecker in the hornbeam,
the cheery-chappy calling
of the oriole pleased to be home,
because this moment
is all that matters
now.