I shovel snow
from Cleveland front lawn
just to see green
crow’s breath
after caw hangs,
winter air
snow furrow cornfield,
old woman peering
in roadside mailbox
office windowsill
fly poised for flight
three months now
sakura petals fallen
she gathers them in small hands
spills them on soft breeze
Kerouac, we knock
your pickled bones together,
zen be-bop
America, more guns
than people, more bullets
than tears
it took 800 years
for Roman Empire’s fall —
they had no internet
first man to walk
on the moon has died,
his footprint still up there
cleaning my office
I find a faded article,
“cleaning your office”
between bright stars
and atoms inside I spin,
breath burning away
Copyright © 2004 by Ray McNiece. From Bone Orchard Conga (WordSmith Press, 4th Edition, 2004). Used with the permission of the poet.