Seeking Summer's Warmth Poem by Rajitha K.S. Ayyappan

Sometimes, I wonder
what the trees do
when all their leaves are shed
by the winds of autumn.
Weightless branches,
without rustling or warbling,
cool air seeping through
vein-like boughs—
do they seek the warmth
of the summer sun?

Like I do
when I walk
along the sidewalk,
my red scarf gathering
the evening breeze,
my footwear scraping dried leaves
of an eclipsing season.

I seek the warmth
of my mom's bereft lap,
like a lotus
stuck in murky water—
hoping to unfurl again
like the trees in spring.