Only Once
Only once does the sun shine upon any given day-
The sun shines only once upon any place, any scene-
Upon any situation-
Upon any tree, spider, web.
When next it shines, all will have changed, imperceptibly or drastically.
Sun’s angle will change as we orbit
Earth’s axis will tilt variably
Days will be longer or shorter
Precipitation may be falling
People rarely take time to notice
Minuscule, temporary details
Or the daily transformations-
Nonetheless-
Only once will the sun shine upon what surrounds us.
Only one time will the sun’s rays touch the spider web in the dogwood tree-
Tomorrow, the sun will shine upon the tree and web in a different way.
Tomorrow, the spider web may be gone-
Torn down by a captured insect or a storm in the night.
And a spider’s life is dangerous, short-
Death may come in that day-
All evidence of web and spider gone.
In a year many things will change-
Spider and web will be gone.
Leaves will be exchanged completely-
Branches and trunk will have grown perceptively.
Whether an hour, a day or a year separates the incidents-
Each time the sun shines upon a scene it is altered.
Only once does the sun shine upon any given day-
Only once does the sun shine upon any given situation.
