to the first snow of my last winter

You fell, frozen;
living static, turning a night which was almost too clear into poor reception on a black and white television-
making everything seem brutal and permanent
you landed on the pavement,
you disappeared into an obvious metaphor-
you became men that admitted that passion was poison
and would turn us all into water.

You dropped, dead;
beautiful white cadavers
victims of the iron wind that sings a dirge for the dead brown leaves that rest inside of black body bags on the corner of every suburban block.
Ashes of the memories of a thousand years ago
(and of last year,
when I forgot to try to catch you on my tongue.)

You stopped, suddenly
solid pieces of light, snuffed out with the fury of what might have been
collapsing back in on the clouds I left in the air with my breath
leaving a few lower case letters
a smear of black ink across this white page
a cold knife in the side of the summer
and a strange shock to the few that had noticed the sky falling apart at 3 a.m.

Reviews

[Beatrice Boyle (Grandm..]

Sorry John, I goofed on the rating...hit the button before I had a chance to submit.
Hope this will correct it!

Grandma Bea

[Beatrice Boyle (Grandm..]

Fantastic imagery here John...I'm captivated not only by the lovely images this conveys to the reader, but by the skillfullly chosen words that you applied.

I'm curious though...you alluded to your "last winter" in the title...I know you are in the Military...My special thanks to you for that...forgive me, but are you considering this possiblity as a matter of chance, or am I completely off the mark here!

In any event...haveing read just this poem of yours...I assure you I will shortly read the rest of them I have a special place in my heart for the military..what Branch are you in? My husband and brother served in WW2 (I'm an old codger you see). my husband a proud Marine, and my brother a specialist in the Army, and I've written several poems for the American Legion which I will be posting here from time to time. (Check out my Casualties of War...a flash fiction story I've posted here)

God bless you and your family (they also serve!)

Beatrice Boyle (Grandma Bea)