OpenLinkNight: Under a paperSun

leaves in a web & the moon

Indian summer afternoon, the bell
no longer echoes, kids run here & there
to meet a bus, a car---heading home, i'm

on the shore
of chaos---
        an owl on watch---
                ferret of truth---
                        the trickster fox---

'Have a good evening Mr. Miller'

'Yes, you too. Don't forget...'

the test, but they are gone, cars in, cars
out & waves of bodies duck between,
a white sedan cuts & weaves, slamming
the horn, HOWLing out the window & a kid

detaches from the curb, silent, eyesCast
down-the sound of each footfall as maddening
as 'WTF are you waiting on get in the GD..'
dad giving it to him, point first-spear,
not through the back but the breast

so he can--'Look at me when I'm talking
to you'--see the life leave in 21 gram mist
off the lips, the door opens and they sit
there, so the kid can really feel how much
of a fuck up he REALly is, dad's face contorting
& contracting--f''This, f''That, i waterWalk
the chop, cross

by the open window say, 'hey, have a good evening'
to the student---i don't even know---but know,
catch dad's eye, so he too knows & continue
onto my ride, lean on its side, in

five minutes, the parking lots empty, save
trash & tomorrow is a test, he won't study for
just attempting to pass & won't look back come
eighteen, home a nightmare awoke from---all the same,
the scenery's just changed---i finger

an origami ring
one kid gave me today, pulling it piece
by piece into a paper sun, then a ring
then a sun---it rises, sets & rises,
sets---

there's a promise
in there, some-
where

It is OpenLinkNight @ dVerse Poets & the poetry is flowing, flowing, won't you jump in the stream...smiles....hey write something, bring it & let's have a bit of fun. The doors open at 3 pm EST.

Personal Note: My wife's father was admitted to the hospital yesterday---my family is down there & i don't know much more at this point but appreciate any thoughts you might send up.