Diana Rosen

SUNSET COCKTAIL

Sitting on the balcony of this
century-old apartment
straining to view today’s sunset
all those pink and gold
brushstrokes hovering just beyond
the visual cacophony
of city lights, oh, what I wouldn’t
do to watch twilight
every evening sipping Ti Kwan Yin
tea leaves plucked
at dawn from dew-dappled bushes
on an old Formosa farm
inhaling their signature scent, my
tongue hungry for
the cup’s citrus sparkle of orchids.

ADVICE FROM AN OLD WOMAN

Rest.

Move away from noise and dust and distraction.
Smell the tang of oceans, petrichor of recent rain,
follow the map of tinseled sky: moon, stars, galaxies.

Grow.
Plant flowers, herbs, plants for their joyful beauty.
Make friends with patience, kindness. Make art.
Sing. Dance. Tell your stories.

Soon, all you will notice is

love.

DIANA ROSEN is a poet, flash writer and essayist whose work appears in online and print journals including Rattle, As It Ought to be Magazine, and Tiferet Journal among others. To read more of her work, please visit authory.com/dianarosen