Damage Assessment Poem by Sonny Rainshine

Which snowflake
triggered the avalanche, or which branch
first collapsed in last night’s ice storm,
weakened by borers and age?
We could just as easily ask:
What words were said,
what gesture carelessly flung
ended us? What barrier
choked the conduit
that channeled our affection,
our respect for one another?
And then,
are there survivors in the mounds
fresh snow? Will the tree
regenerate new limbs,
flower again and fruit?
How peaceful it is
now that the breakdown
has passed and what remains
amid the ruins are choices.