Courage

 

 

Courage

•

he lifts himself
quietly

so quietly

from beneath
the sheets

soiled with neglect

makes his way
carefully

past the shallow-breathed
crumple
that lay milky-eyed
in a heap

un-moving
on the floor

save a twitch of the head

which head
now harbors demons

where nocturne angels
of sweet release
laid down lush
upon her

in fevered embrace

lustfully conjured
by last night’s
spoon and lance

still skewered
silver
in the soured vein

this wreckage
is his mother

he stops
but for a glance

verifying life

then moves on
head down

he angles
to the bathroom
to the scum-brown bowl
to wash his face

a face

lit sallow
by the yellowed bulb

that hangs bare
and lonely

eyes
of knowing

eyes
of sadness

that stare
into the mirror

broken as his heart

in the dank
foodless morning
of this ruined
single room

he gathers up his books

steps lightly
through the door

down the damaged stairs

into the hostile streets

heavy
with a childhood
of strangled dreams

he ducks and dodges
in and out of shadows

his prayer

to once again
avoid the evil

that lurks and slinks
among the garbage
and graffiti

of these crumbled
brickened canyons

seductive as a smile

deadly
as a snake

evil which

if diligence should fail

will consume
his youthful soul

deliberately he continues

until at last
he finds his way
into the building

into the classroom

into his desk

into the only hope

to which
this innocent dare cling

• • •

rob kistner © 7/3/05

 

 

_____________________

Powerful photo at top is of the Hope Street Wall graffiti in Philadelphia
captured by: Eugene Martin

Wonderful mural at bottom also from Philadelphia, on a school at 27th & Cecil B. Moore
captured by: Shackamaxonbaby
_____________________

 

• • •

 

~ by Image&VerseToo on April 10, 2008.