Author Archives

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Tonight by Rosemary Griebel

Tonight, no weight. The sun slants over
the city, air lifts and cools. Below the weir
cormorants form a black line, patient fishers
with a solemn duty. If I keep walking,
these lit houses, traffic, the glow
of office towers will become a dark blue
backdrop, and I will be in a field. The smell
of ripe timothy and brome. Owls calling.
I love this world. And I will wait here for you.

by

July Sky

Goddess Pele dances a Paso Doble with Helios.
Below, the churning skies captivate a human audience.

Clouds boil and swirl, sweeping across the horizon.
Sunshine is blocked. Pele stomps. Her skirts swish
with abrupt intention. Dark thunderheads answer her
beat with a bass rumble.

A cone forms as she rotates and dips. A funnel cloud
emerges from the navy blue formation and drops into
the realm of Helios’ sunshine, before disappearing.

The force and speed of Pele’s violent actions contain
a hypnotic beauty, eyes unable to turn away. The
passionate choreography of water, air, and fire in the
heavens, leaves onlookers open mouthed. They rush
to tell anyone willing to listen how they survived
a bull fight in the skies.

by

Tarnished Tiara

Her zombie steps shuffle along streets and alleys,
hair knotted and matted in unintended dreadlocks.
The cracked husk of her tarnished veneer reflects,
momentarily, in a boutique window and catches her eye.

Startled, she stares.

She glimpses a forgotten piece of her former self
beyond the plate glass. Flickers of another life
glint like sunshine on the glazed surface. Her
eyes close against the brightness.

A businessman in a navy suit, talking on his phone,
bumps her out of her reverie. He hurries on
without a glance, like stepping over dog shit.

She withdraws,
a hermit crab sliding into the safety of her shell,
disappears into her invisible life, slinking
along the streets.

by

Royal Duty

FrenchCards

(internet photo)
Queen of hearts peeks from behind knave of clubs
into a sea of grey and white heads bobbing
throughout the room.
Eyes are downcast in devotion to the royal court
fanned out before the lords and ladies,
and peasants, too.
Quiet devotion is interrupted by muted coughs or
the occasional chair scraping the floor.
The snap of cards
hitting the table salute allegiance to powerful
houses of kings. Any deviation from
ruling principles
results in immediate penalty. Festivities continue
until the last of the regal families
have exited behind
closed doors. A lucky few go away smiling as they
carry grand gifts bestowed upon them.
The rest return
home dreaming that next time a grandiose touch
of sovereignty will be in the cards
for them.