<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too many eyes have drawn them out.
\nIf you weep before them, don\u2019t feel alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A yellow that shouts, a yellow applied Follow no one. Let no one follow you. You\u2019ll feel alone. Everyone will feel alone. Let them come out. They will thud you. Remember the universal, the universe. Superseding sublime Passing Canada geese in pewter skies, Forecasted snow This is north, not south. Namesake ties, But these folks here No winning anywhere The walk tests me each time. Nothing\u2019s holding him here. But maybe because of that as he wants. And maybe one <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing\u2019s holding him here\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n and what\u2019s holding any of us<\/p>\n\n\n\n to this particular point in time<\/p>\n\n\n\n and space, besides gravity<\/p>\n\n\n\n and maybe loyalty to someone<\/p>\n\n\n\n or something, or love? Love<\/p>\n\n\n\n can hold us. But you can crash<\/p>\n\n\n\n letting go of it or being let go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Time to finish my walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I need the sweat, the release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I need to keep moving<\/p>\n\n\n\n to stay my own crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n I thank Arthur for the beer<\/p>\n\n\n\n and hit the road. He promises<\/p>\n\n\n\n to write or email from Jasper,<\/p>\n\n\n\n but I would never hold him to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Stories Always End<\/p>\n\n\n\n A single light in the darkness<\/p>\n\n\n\n triggers a dust-mote maelstrom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Love was in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now a war has begun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fingers coil fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both sides claim victimhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Each knows the role assigned<\/p>\n\n\n\n at the start of the play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One holds an atlas, the other a knife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n A radio plays<\/p>\n\n\n\n If You Could Read My Mind<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The word castle<\/em> creates<\/p>\n\n\n\n a quiet space<\/p>\n\n\n\n where the enemies reflect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chests heave,<\/p>\n\n\n\n flesh gleams<\/p>\n\n\n\n under the bare lightbulb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n No one can read anyone\u2019s mind,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n the two conclude<\/p>\n\n\n\n independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Worship<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The stained glass windows<\/p>\n\n\n\n surrounding us exhaust the eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sermon exceeds all<\/p>\n\n\n\n expectations, shatters records<\/p>\n\n\n\n kept in dank church vaults<\/p>\n\n\n\n memorializing men of lung<\/p>\n\n\n\n as we call them in this context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Men of lung, filling up, nostrils<\/p>\n\n\n\n black as horse-drawn hearses<\/p>\n\n\n\n clopping over cobblestones,<\/p>\n\n\n\n flaring to the graveyard, man<\/p>\n\n\n\n the man goes on as such<\/p>\n\n\n\n to stone another man seeking<\/p>\n\n\n\n only comfort in the chapel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Can the bored be redeemed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing that a simple miracle<\/p>\n\n\n\n wouldn\u2019t remedy right quick<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014something loud as hell or maybe<\/p>\n\n\n\n just a light show, or Jesus<\/p>\n\n\n\n in the stained glass windows<\/p>\n\n\n\n telling us where to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sunflowers Too many eyes have drawn them out. If you weep before them, don\u2019t feel alone. A yellow that shouts, a yellow applied with a switchblade or a lame \u00e0 cran d’arr\u00eat. Follow no one. Let no one follow you. Find a quiet hour. Find an hour, or two. You\u2019ll feel alone. Don\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5283,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poetry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3681"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3681\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5547,"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3681\/revisions\/5547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtls.ca\/issue28\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nwith a switchblade or a lame \u00e0 cran d’arr\u00eat.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nFind a quiet hour. Find an hour, or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nDon\u2019t feel alone. Remember the universal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nEveryone has felt so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThey will squeeze your heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nTheir place in it. Yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nthey brush the divine.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWintering<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nunseen but heard clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ncreates a dichotomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWhat compelled them to stay?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\na kinder, better cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nwear their feathers most likely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nthe chimneys smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHolding Pattern<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nThe uneven pavement, the steep hills.
\nI always work up a good sweat.
\nI stop at Arthur\u2019s flat for a beer.
\nHe\u2019s moving west this spring.
\n\u201cGot a cousin in Jasper,\u201d he says.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s gonna set me up there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nArthur used to be the super
\nin my building but lost that gig
\nafter his heart attack. He\u2019s
\ndoing better now and probably
\nshouldn\u2019t be drinking beer.
\nNever know if it could be his last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhe should drink as many beers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nof them will be his last,
\nbut it will taste delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n