Taking Poetry Public

before the tall stems 

of the pre-blossom wildflowers called me 

into their bamboo-stalk 

labyrinth of swaying 

singing forest

and small brown birds 

erupted like cruise missiles 

crossed the continent 

of front yard 

to strike the lone magnolia

splashes of lavender 

primroses seduced 

the sun and a sphinx 

moth and cheating-heart bees

the ungrateful crows 

I've been feeding 

cheap puppy chow 

from the discount store 

land like Omaha 

Beach and squawk 

orders for cups of kibble

and the hawk screes somewhere 

in the tortured gray 

mottled sky

and I unmoor 

from the perception 

of biological superiority 

and face 

the truth 

of my degenerative 

soul

and I can again 

and never be 

anything but… 

but I won't be 

the same one

By James Mathis