Once the Leaves Stopped Jumping

Tony Machorro-Robinson

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Once the leaves stopped jumping

the leaf cutter ants

carried on as if

nothing happened,

the iguana warmed itself

on an empty rock

free from the foliage

which covered the ground

like a membrane of water and green.

The storm had passed

but its destruction still littered

the jungle floor with

broken branches and leaves,

the monkey’s fur gently dripping

as he threw himself up

to the top of the drying canopy

and onto my balcony

Where we shared a few

sunny moments of uncertainty.