EVENING

The delicate evening flowers
Have opened their hearts,
And their petals are trembling
On the gentle wave of fragrance.

Let this scented wave engulf
The shore of your consciousness,
Let the maroon muslin of twilight
Become a layer of your skin.

Then feel how the fingers of shadows
Gently fondle your each contour,
And how some autumn leaves undulate
To the rhythm of your heartbeat.

Submit to this tranquil hour,
Which is serene as a silent prayer.
                

      -Portia Burton