Penitence

I remember that cool evening
under the moss-draped banyan trees,
how the roots grew downward
to the ground to form new trunks.
I was there only once, yet I'll
never forget it. I neglected to tell you
how lovely you looked. I knew you
would have brushed it off, but I
should have affirmed you anyway.
The clarity was magical and
nothing's made that much sense,
before or since.
Even the immense waves
pounding against the cliffs couldn't
match the power of love
unleashed within my heart.
Would the confession, "I don't ever
want to be without you" really have
made me too vulnerable?
I read that they chopped down the
banyan trees. They're gone
forever, like you. For a price,
rich men golf upon the cliff,
contrasting with poverty in my heart,
the utter bankruptcy of my soul.

--Shenandoah Lynd