The Manzanita bend back on themselves
in the angry wet wind
that yanks and twists them in every direction
as their glistening burgundy branches
cling at times in vain to dripping leaves,
undersides up,
as though turning inside out.

Leaves reluctantly separated,
used to days of calm and sun,
dot the nearby flooded freeway
where two curious ducks,
used to cattails and carp,
churn their way in large circles
through muddy white caps
past emergency vehicles with lights flashing.

Marianne Brems is the author of three poetry chapbooks, the most recent, In Its Own Time (2023). Her full length collection Stepping Stones is forthcoming in 2024.  Her poems have also appeared in literary journals including The Bluebird Word, Front Porch Review, Remington Review, and Green Ink Poetry. She lives, cycles, and swims in Northern California. Website: www.mariannebrems.com.