i have a slow stride
going down the sidewalk.
The rain barrel
in the backyard
is empty.
i cross the street -
the Chapel of Hope
is locked -
all four doors.
This might be a ghost town
but there are cats out
and neighbors with their
cans of orange soda
and mounds of black earth
in the middle of driveways,
waiting for gardens,
waiting for rain.
The wind whisks leaves
in a fury of dust.
The certainty of endings -
ashes to ashes -
greets the insistence of life.
I like the "upper" one. Far enough away that it could represent blood instead of a flower. That fits better with the 1st part of the poem. The close up is too clearly a flower.
ReplyDeletewhat part of the poem makes you think of blood? Chapel of Hope? Rain barrel?
ReplyDeleteI just accidentally came across your comment. I didn't get notified in my email account -
thanks for checking in!
slow stride : slow compared to...? active life
ReplyDeletegoing down : gangster movie talk "We are killing you"
backyard is empty : lifeless
locked - all 4 doors: no way in or out
ghost town : they are dead
waiting for gardens : will NOT be attended to
waiting for rain : that WON'T come
fury of dust, certainty of ending, ashes to ashes : No comment
the insistence of life: some insistence! hah.
well. I suppose one could see it that way, though i don't know any gangster movie talk...
ReplyDelete