Birmingham, AL
Lying in my rolling crypt
Awaking in the dark, uncomfortable
On the day when my oldest relative goes to rest
Only I emerge
With the thought of a woman
Who lived fully
Over changes that grew fast
Kudzu consuming the landscape
Transforming cities of granite and Mason’s dreams
Into complex towers of glass and steel
That seem boring as they shadow simple obelisks
The purity of geometry defeats central air
At my age she perhaps would have puzzled at
My push button calls, checking my e-mail
The TV. remote and the lack of service
Or at what we complain about every day
As I talk and talk in my inaction
Plotting courses based on business theory
And my own perception of human relationships
The baring of weaknesses and the fears of unrequited love
Perhaps the values have not changed so much
For the language of the heart is eternal.