Jagged Lines
It’s hard to describe
Why he’s so scary,
Something about the
Way he never smiles or
The dead certainty
Of his words,
All jagged lines,
Merciless,
As if nobody ever said
A kind word to him
When it would have
Made a difference.
Before Long
A lovely family of
Birds arrives to
Enjoy the season.
Chattering cheerfully,
Snacking on blossoms,
Socializing enthusiastically,
Brimming with life.
Optimistic games played
Amidst the branches,
Passing days enjoyed
To their fullest.
Before long they leave,
The passing of time,
Fleeting, evanescent.
Alcohol and Amusements
Don’t worry
About a thing.
We’ve got it
Under control.
No need to
Think about anything.
Sit down,
Relax.
Enjoy some numbing
Alcohol and amusements.
Everything’s
Fine.
If that doesn’t work,
We’ll impose martial law.
Shallow Blather
He doesn’t ask questions
Because he’s afraid
Of the answers he
Might hear.
This leaves only one option:
Talk all the time,
Fill up the space
With shallow blather.
At least this way,
He assures himself,
They won’t
Be on to him.
A superficial being
Desperately trying
To avoid
Looking at itself.
Resilience
The inspiring resilience of
Those who endure unimaginable
Horror at some point in life
And refuse to remain bound by
Dread, realizing instead that
There is more to life than
Settling into the lowest hollow,
Rising to heights of limitless,
Healing, love and peace.
Culminating
Arriving at a place
Free of contamination;
Anger and recrimination
Fading beyond memory,
A growing sense of peace,
Years of toil culminating
In a single exhalation.
Shoes
He spots the well-dressed
Business man walking toward
Him and eagerly asks him
Whether he wants a shoe shine.
Kneeling in front of
The man, he goes about his
Magic, buffing and polishing
With a friendly smile.
The ritual ends with a
Diffident request for payment.
The man reaches in his pocket
And tosses him a pittance.
The day passes,
One customer at a time,
Staring at the shoes
Of the powerful.
Seeing Each Other
They meet at their
Favorite restaurant but
There’s not much to
Say and hasn’t been
For some time now.
Staring at their
Plates, moving their
Food around, waiting
For something that
Won’t come.
They both remember
Vivid conversations,
Ready laughter,
Looking forward to
Seeing each other.
Plunge
Cutting all
The lifelines.
Boats set adrift,
Heading toward nowhere.
A roiling sea
Gulping them whole.
You’re on your own
In this world.
Don’t expect us
To help you.
Sad spiraling
Plunge to the bottom.