Flat Water

Aging Adonis

Ghost rider

Parting the

Dark asphalt

Warping the

Scenery

Turning the heads of the young girls

With the

Stereo of

His exhaust pipes

Seeing their

Disappointment

Cross their faces slowly

But then recognizing beauty behind an old man’s face

He has this

Will power

To defeat

The wind and

Boar closing in

The air

Making his jacket

Flutter and eyes sparkle with defiance

It does not matter

Where he is

Going as long

As he is going

Shooting live

Bullets at the

Flat water to scare away his reflection.

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Night

Does the tree know when

It is dying of the seeds

That it has spent?

Does the baby know when

Crying, that his father

Pays the rent?

Does my family know

I’m lonely, when they are

Sleeping, oh, so sound?

Does my spirit live

Forever, when my

Body is in the ground?

I think, I’m going to

Miss me, when I

Am not around.

I hope, these lines

Are lost forever, and

Never will be found.

Kansas

In my land

Of flush excess,

I only dare

And have elected,

To speak frankly

From the start.

Here I stand

My sweet princess,

I lay it bare

And unprotected,

So walk gently

Upon my heart.

 -----------------------

Wolf

Four steps sounding like two,

He crossed the frozen lake.

He howled his presence known,

And entered the fallen brake.

The air had bite of blade.

Ice stole its ride unwanted.

His belly only wished a morsel,

And speared him as he hunted.

Three cries, then silence.

He ate without a whimper.

Sleep dragged away his senses,

And hid this night of winter.

A snarl tore his eyes wide open.

Two fires of hate and welcome.

The bear had no pride, nor thanks

Nor question of a bum.

In the pink of black of morning,

Yet, silence of the night,

He knew there was no health

In staying for a fight.

Four steps sounding like two,

He left the fallen brake.

He howled his presence known,

And crossed the frozen lake.

All poetry on this page
Copyright © by William J. Karnowski, 2006 

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