Owl and Racer and Coming Soon, Yesterday

John Grey

Owl and Racer   Snake slithers through owl's wood, So little witness does it take To realize that realm of snake Is now raptor's, and nothing could Emphasize this more than dour hood Of eyes, fearsome hoot, sudden shake Of boughs in tall oak, racer quake As new food chain is understood.   Sun crawls over red hills, the land Scrapes off the last of waning day Like snake skin, a change is at hand From fang to talon, black to gray, It's twilight, a shift in command From reptile to bird of prey.

Coming Soon, Yesterday   There's a poster on the club wall for the show I really want to see but, only trouble is, it happened three weeks ago.   There's my hero, eyes throttled tight with emotion and trumpet hanging out of his mouth like a tongue going down on the music.   One show only. They have to tell me that. And the date. Saturday August 2nd. That was my life and I missed it. Now I'm dead.   Why didn't they rip this damn thing down, post up their placards for the shows I have no interest in. Mangy guitarists, gas-piped divas, I would have moved slickly by or maybe paused a moment to leave a message on the answering machine of their pumped up admission price list... "Don't call back for love or money!"   I want to complain to the manager about dreams destroyed. But maybe he'll say the guy will be back next year so they're only dreams deferred. And I feel sure that, knowing me, I'll miss that one as well. For me, the future's always been this encore by the past. And always the wrong act giving it.

 

John Grey is an Australian born poet, playwright, musician. His latest book is What Else Is There from Main Street Rag. Recent work of his was published in The English Journal, The Pedestal, Pearl and the Journal Of The American Medical Association.

Photo "Why Did You Jump" by Bella Dante.

 

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Poems Copyright © 2008 John Grey. All rights reserved.

Photo Copyright © 2008 Bella Dante. All rights reserved.