Marmalade Scent is Missing

       Marmalade Scent is Missing

The orange sunset seen through orange trees

Shows Florida as orange, orange, green.

The gloss of evergreen these orange tints tease

With glints so slight of orange that the scene

Defies the eyes to see the orange hints

Upon the dark of green, the dark of leaves

Resisting sunset’s orange fingerprints.

It is as if the orange light deceives

The eye–the color is so slight upon

The darkened limbs of darkened green of groves.

It seems that orange in these stems has gone

As far towards night as dark in mountain coves.

  The lack of orange scent alone denies

     Perfection, making doubt that God is wise.

Phillip Whidden