clumps
they come in bright red clumps
in the middle of the winter.

there on branches where no leaves
are there to obscure their beauty,
glow beautiful crimson bulbs that light up
like rudolph's red nose.

i like to think i took one and bit
into it, to experience a taste of wildlife,
but i would never -- my health declines slowly.
being in eight-feet snow, however,
with their lights dangling above my head
didn't discourage me from thinking
what it would've been like
when the blinding white
finally consumed the blood-red bulb.