Rainbow in Balata

Meadow Dream.  Copyright © 2016 by Shallon Fadlien.

(for SF)

A story for you—

            in late afternoon drizzle

coming home through familiar Balata

its blossoming gardens of mangoes, gloricidia

            and palms’ branches like multi-winged cherubim — in that light

a huge rainbow, close as heaven, spectrum a palette

of red to indigo and her sister violet

            and I saw the end down a footpath

settled like a full-bodied beauty on a bench

under a breadfruit tree, there off Balata —

            this true story is for you and the un-looked-for embrace

of the arms of your tender-hued interest

which surprised me, coming round this bend, like that arc-en-ciel.