WHEN UPON
MY MORNING
WALK
AROUND THE YARD
AND ALL THE FOLIAGE
I FOUND A SIGHT
THAT GAVE ME
SHIVERS,
AND ALL THE
RIVERS OF
ANGRY EMOTION
COMING FROM
THE SLASH
AND BURN
THE SHAMEFUL
RETURN
OF BRANCHES
AND PIECES
OF TREES
AND SHRUBS
STREWN
ASKEW
AMONGST
THE HUBS
AND LOVELY
CORNERS
OF GREEN
AND FLOWERS
MY WONDERFUL
YARD
OF FRAGRANCE
AND BOWERS,
SOMEONE AWFUL
HAD BEEN
CUTTING AND
RUTTING
SCREAMING
FROM THE MOTORIZED
HELL
HE HELD
IN HIS HANDS
AS THE BRANCHES
FELL,
I HEARD THE
COMMOTION
THE DAYS
BEFORE,
AND FOUND IT
AT ONCE
AS A THING
TO DEPLORE,
THE MAN
NEXT DOOR
IS NOT ONLY A BORE,
BUT A CREEPY
DESTROYER
AND ALWAYS
A VOYEUR,
SO APPARENTLY
WHEN WE
WERE ALL
OUT OF SIGHT
HE CUT AND
HE SAWED
INTO THE NIGHT
LEAVING MY
SIDE YARD
IN TERRIBLE
SHAPE,
IT LOOKED LIKE
THE HOME OF
A HUGE MEAN
OLD APE,
BESIDES THE DEBRIS
WHICH HE LEFT
BEHIND
THERE WERE BROKEN
SMALL BRANCHES
AND MOUNDS
OF ALL KINDS
AND NOW YOU
COULD SEE
BEYOND MY
PROPERTY
THE CRAPPY
OLD JUNK
AND TRASHY
FUNK BUCKETS
OF DIRTY OLD STUFF
AND BROKEN
WOOD TUCKETS,
I STOMPED
AND I ROMPED
AND I SCREAMED
BLOODY MURDER,
BEFORE THE
IDEA FLOATED
UNDER THE CURB,
WHAT CAN I DO
TO MAKE A DISPLAY
SOMETHING TO
DISPEL
AND WIPE OUT
THAT DAY,
IT WAS THEN
THAT THE
BRAINSTORM
OCCURRED
AND I WENT ON
SEARCHING
WITHOUT JUST
A WORD,
I FOUND MY ROUND
PAINTINGS
AND HANGINGS
FROM MEXICO,
GIFTS FROM
AFAR
STORED IN
A LEXICON,
READY AND
WAITING TO
BLOCK ALL THE
GRIEF,
I JUMPED
AND I SHOUTED
IN JOYFUL RELIEF,
SO NOW I CAN
SAY WITH A
VOICE FULL OF
LOVE
THAT I’VE DONE MY
DESIGNING
WITH A JOY
FROM ABOVE,
I HUNG UP THE ART
AND THE FUNNY
SMART
FROGGIES
WITH FACES
THAT BLOCKED
OUT DISGRACES,
WE STOOD AND
LOOKED
AS THE POP UP
WAS FINISHED,
AND MY BEAUTIFUL
DREAM WAS
NOW UNDIMINISHED,
AND NOW EVERY
MORNING
WHEN DOING MY
WALK
I LAUGH AND
I SPEAK
WITH THE
POETIC TALK,
AND THUMB MY
NOSE
AT THAT CREEPY
OLD GRUMP
WHO LIVES IN
THE ATTIC
AND LOOKS
LIKE A STUMP,
NOW I CAN SHOW
YOU
HOW ART CAN
ACHIEVE
ALL THE FINE
WONDERS
AND MAKE
YOU BELIEVE
THAT DREAMS
WILL COME TRUE,
IT CAN HAPPEN
TO YOU!
©JW WINSLOW 10/1/19