the autumn had been due her and come
but was retreating to the river
on which it would leave

                         she watched it tint
the water that it drifted into
and keep on moving

                         at the farmhouse
they were putting a match to the wick
in midafternoon

                         she might have gone
a mile with the river and seen the 
other family

                         that had no room
to keep the youngest in but would want
her again someday

                         how it had been
in Nora bergsförsamling until
Mama Stina died

                         but now she gave
the work and company of her to
a foster hemma

                         everyone
knew that Elin Viktoria was
not an orphan kid

                         she could turn all
they wanted her to do on the farm
into a polka

                         the autumn had
been and soon the river it took would
bring her fifteenth year

                         it did that but
Elin would not be due to watch the
next one come or drift

                         the window glass
of an empty bedroom would break and
a family would nest in the wall


© 2009 by Rodney Nelson. All rights reserved.