she only played
mozart, on chickering
flat tusks, ebony
keys, her fingers
pressing sound into
air, while my
head on pillow
rested for sonata
slumber, this childhood
memory of time
gone by, as
if anything really
leaves this universe
empty spaces left
to be filled
again and again
i chew mint gum
behind my mask at
whole foods, walk by the
organic cherries, putting
their shiny bulbs into
the cart
our eyes dart out
looking at one another, we’ve
gotten used to this
toothless, lipless existence
as if we are helplessly in
covid’s harem, all of us
unhappy wives
plucking up frozen pizzas
following aisle arrows
in the direction away
from looming sickness
that saturates everything
with its statistics and
endless news of how this
will continue unabated
but still we eat the
sweet cherries, hoping
to one day be free
floating on his back
my son in river
water, glistening hair touches
sunlight, azure sky, cloud
reflection, i imagine him
alive forever, held in
nature’s undulating womb
He will be 10 next month, but he is already wearing a size 9 men’s shoe!
Alma Mater of Civil Rights Champion, John Lewis.
I love music, but I’ve never been a big concertgoer. Almost every single one of the following concerts were initiated by friends. Of these, my favorite was seeing James Taylor at an outdoor venue in Santiago, Chile (1994). He took the stage after 1am and was absolutely captivating.
Daniel W. Polk 