Chaos

John Doriot

Amidst chaos
The peach tree glows.
The tree so named, not for fruit
but for its pink-orange leaves
which are ablaze with color and
cannot be ignored.
Perhaps the tree’s presence
is a lesson for those
whose eyes have been shuttered;
but once opened, see the
destructive elements of chaos
are not absolute, rather reflective
of a framework in which to gather
up one’s paintbrushes
and begin anew.

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John Doriot
John Doriot is an award-winning author and poet. He has written sixteen books and won six Georgia Independent Author of the Year Awards from 2022-2024 for best horror/thriller novel (Litter), best science fiction novel (The Cures), best collection of short stories twice (Grimmer Folk Stories, Idioms), and best poetry collection (From Sorrow To Tomorrow, Slowly, I Grow). He has contributed short stories and poems to Down in the Dirt, Dark Horses, Fright, WestWard Quarterly, The Broken Teacup, and Poems for Tomorrow magazines. He lives in Evans, Georgia, with his very patient wife of 46 years and his dog, Oreo. When not writing, he loves to read, hike, garden, and travel, especially to see his new granddaughter.