REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST

I stand in mute wonder

as noonday sun dispels

the mist of dawn.

Lithe shoulders glide

in a laughing surf,

sandy wind spins sunbeams

on your honey-colored hair.

You smile at a sliverof the moon

and sing the subdued jazz theme

from Birth of the Cool.

Alone in a world

of winding streets,

flickering lights

have all gone out.

Smothered in office dust motes

and paychecks,

a silent forecast is buried beneath

your painted fingernails.

Keep your dreams as bright

as a Petawatt Laser.

Forget the bloody sacrifices

made by a thundering deity.

To love and be unloved,

a war that can’t be won.

Omnia Gallia in tres partis divista est

Ushers collect chewing gum

from beneath the seats.