‘Hey. What you're doing? Hey!’
- I am in construction.
Renovation.
I renovate.
I am fixing the cracks.
- This sidewalk was perfect
before you came here
with your pretty ideas!
I used to be able to walk home
following the
familiar cracks you
call ‘imperfections’.
Imperfections guide me ...
the safe knowing of
where I am at.
- Look at the trees, Lady,
look around you,
follow the fences,
the gardens instead!
- I am in construction.
Renovation.
I renovate.
I am fixing the cracks.
- This sidewalk was perfect
before you came here
with your pretty ideas!
I used to be able to walk home
following the
familiar cracks you
call ‘imperfections’.
Imperfections guide me ...
the safe knowing of
where I am at.
- Look at the trees, Lady,
look around you,
follow the fences,
the gardens instead!
- It's all subject to change!
The next thing I know
the trees will be cut.
I like them ...when
dressed in white winter.
I will remember them.
I will remember the sidewalk,
and will be missing
the cracks.
With my eyes closed
The next thing I know
the trees will be cut.
I like them ...when
dressed in white winter.
I will remember them.
I will remember the sidewalk,
and will be missing
the cracks.
With my eyes closed
- in here -
everything remains
wonderful
yet nothing exists.
I feel
invisible.
My words are
breath.
My steps
are light.
I feel full
of Nothingness.
- I am in construction.
I build visible things.
I build the sidewalk.
I make it smooth
with my tools.
For Everybody to
move safely.
- I am reconstructing.
From Nothing.
Fences and gardens
behind fences
don't interest me
to follow.
I don't care for new roads.
Why doesn't anyone
build one road that
leads ...
wonderful
yet nothing exists.
I feel
invisible.
My words are
breath.
My steps
are light.
I feel full
of Nothingness.
- I am in construction.
I build visible things.
I build the sidewalk.
I make it smooth
with my tools.
For Everybody to
move safely.
- I am reconstructing.
From Nothing.
Fences and gardens
behind fences
don't interest me
to follow.
I don't care for new roads.
Why doesn't anyone
build one road that
leads ...
I like this one and most especially because it reflects how Lia and I feel about what is happening in our local inner city neighbourhood where the council is adamant about replacing our old Victorian era bluestone cobbled laneways with concrete. They can't be bothered continuing to spend the relatively small amount of money which is needed to properly maintain them. And not a bit of the reason is they are also basically privatizing them by selling them to developers as ad hoc driveways into their new medium rise apartment developments. You know it's not that we don't have corruption here it's just that they've legalized it!! Which is not to say that I don't relate to the greater metaphysical import of your poem; in fact that is what makes it truly great.
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