In the Absence of Trees
Uncomfortable Blanks
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
About the Creator
No Real Balance
Reluctant Writer. Teacher.
Hawking vocal contests for love letters.
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