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In the Absence of Trees

Uncomfortable Blanks

By No Real BalancePublished 2 years ago Updated about a year ago 1 min read
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In the Absence of Trees
Photo by Maud CORREA on Unsplash

For today’s purpose,

Fill in the [______] with any state

No matter.

.

I moved. Mid-pandemic.

Now, living in a new state

Won’t share which one. Yet.

I learned from poetry

Rules don’t exist

So I’m breaking off

from comfort with complaints.

Looked it up

Lists count for poetry.

Allow me to begin:

.

[______] is a shit hole

Do-over.

[______] is a limp dick.

Sorry, but not.

I got real issues with [______].

.

1.

No hook up exists

to gain DMV entry

Been wait-listed for months

to update a license

2.

Read my vocal

submissions.

Already established

[______] treats teachers like shit.

(Pays shit, as well).

3.

[______] is dull. And dry. And boring.

Brick and concrete

beige upon beige

parking lots and strip malls.

.

Pay attention to the next one.

.

4.

Trees be disappearing.

Slight sneeze of breeze, tree gone

Week-long dry spell, tree gone

Grow bald, lopsided. Tree gone.

Button stamps disease or fissure.

Tree Gone.

Porch tastings of shaded whispers, southern shadows.

Gone. Cause tree gone.

‘Specially in [______].

No more hundred year towers

No more root uneven pavement

No more eager, green saplings

In my new state, it’s just thorny brittle brush.

Twig snap. Combustible.

.

I’d set fire to [______]

but it’s already roasting.

Vegetation singed, scorched.

Alighting would do only one thing

Char beige to black

Coated, crust of ashes.

I moved.

Mid-pandemic

To the absence of trees

I grieve

.

True Story.

.

Fill in the [______] with any state

No matter anymore

Antithesis Lists Qualify

.

24

fact or fiction
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About the Creator

No Real Balance

Reluctant Writer. Teacher.

Hawking vocal contests for love letters.

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