In Reality
They no longer talk,
And he concocts
A story that makes
Him look like he
Has no part in the
Conflict when he,
In reality, bears
The brunt of all
His relationship
Failures, a reality
He can’t escape
No matter how hard
He tries.
Minimalist Free Verse Poems about the Human Condition
Without Explanation
He grew up on the
Side of town where
Crumbling dwellings
Were interspersed with
Warehouses and junkyards.
Walking in neighborhoods
Where orderly houses and
Manicured lawns gleamed,
He felt watched;
An object of suspicion.
Someone once alerted the
Police chief to his presence,
That he was surely up to no good.
He spent two days in jail,
Released without explanation.
Jagged Lines
It’s hard to describe
Why he’s so scary,
Something about the
Way he never smiles or
The dead certainty
Of his words,
All jagged lines,
Merciless,
As if nobody ever said
A kind word to him
When it would have
Made a difference.
Before Long
A lovely family of
Birds arrives to
Enjoy the season.
Chattering cheerfully,
Snacking on blossoms,
Socializing enthusiastically,
Brimming with life.
Optimistic games played
Amidst the branches,
Passing days enjoyed
To their fullest.
Before long they leave,
The passing of time,
Fleeting, evanescent.
Alcohol and Amusements
Don’t worry
About a thing.
We’ve got it
Under control.
No need to
Think about anything.
Sit down,
Relax.
Enjoy some numbing
Alcohol and amusements.
Everything’s
Fine.
If that doesn’t work,
We’ll impose martial law.
Shallow Blather
He doesn’t ask questions
Because he’s afraid
Of the answers he
Might hear.
This leaves only one option:
Talk all the time,
Fill up the space
With shallow blather.
At least this way,
He assures himself,
They won’t
Be on to him.
A superficial being
Desperately trying
To avoid
Looking at itself.
Resilience
The inspiring resilience of
Those who endure unimaginable
Horror at some point in life
And refuse to remain bound by
Dread, realizing instead that
There is more to life than
Settling into the lowest hollow,
Rising to heights of limitless,
Healing, love and peace.
Culminating
Arriving at a place
Free of contamination;
Anger and recrimination
Fading beyond memory,
A growing sense of peace,
Years of toil culminating
In a single exhalation.
Shoes
He spots the well-dressed
Business man walking toward
Him and eagerly asks him
Whether he wants a shoe shine.
Kneeling in front of
The man, he goes about his
Magic, buffing and polishing
With a friendly smile.
The ritual ends with a
Diffident request for payment.
The man reaches in his pocket
And tosses him a pittance.
The day passes,
One customer at a time,
Staring at the shoes
Of the powerful.
Seeing Each Other
They meet at their
Favorite restaurant but
There’s not much to
Say and hasn’t been
For some time now.
Staring at their
Plates, moving their
Food around, waiting
For something that
Won’t come.
They both remember
Vivid conversations,
Ready laughter,
Looking forward to
Seeing each other.