“Each Neighbor Sings of Saddest Songs”

“Each Neighbor Sings of Saddest Songs”

At the dawn of birch-light

at the summit of my terrarium

there’s a sun, aqua-true and blue,

a misunderstood tune for me and you;

each sentry glows his post

past the breakers, the sordid ghost,

he knows of afternoons to blast

in dark carnation casts:

your wolffish chin, your downy insect toes;

lead us miracle to marigold,

to selfish toad, to dripping rocks,

each stings a locust: scorpion of brain,

bark of blisters, son of rain:

but three were left with no place to go

or, rather, no spirit to rest beside;

the tide draws back, our thoughts collide

for only one human experience

under bleachers, and bleached bangs

they hang without us, distant stars.

Tags: each neighbor sings of saddest songs, Nicholaus Patnaude, poem, poetry