Inappropriate footwear
slows the pace
mind your steps
mind the path ahead
mind the earth below
mind your mind
pause for quiet homage
pause for gratitude
raise your gaze highway
from beneath the grace of shade
one hundred years standing
balsam poplar still reaches
to touch the edge of summer clouds
One lonesome dove cry
Late afternoon clouds drifting
Silence between breaths
They are selling their condo
all inclusive reads the promotional draw
You’ll get everything you need to live well
There’s a stove and a washer
refrigerator, a red sofa, and two beds
A mirror in the hallway so you always
have someone you can tell your troubles to
Drift in and out each of the five rooms
a virtual tour riding tilted on a giant balloon
Each wall’s smooth as sheer windswept cliffs
no art or books here to hold or pause to gaze
Curious returns to the shining hall mirror
condolence messages via a smudged screen
You must be so lonesome here
I woke to the sound of singing
voices of the world
some are joyful
some in pain
experience, innocence
young, elders, boys and girls
I heard the songs of great lamenting
for hunger, cruelty, and shame
I heard the whispers of remembrance
and hope that still remains