senescence
she
has Jesus on the radio
and
his picture on the wall
looking
over her small room
she
sits and reads her bible
waiting
for the phone to ring
every
table carries photos
of
her children young and grown
they
all smile at her from frames -
given
to her once each year.
she
looks at them while praying
her
hand outstretched to touch them
almost
like a blessing
to
reach beyond their stillness.
she
prays for their salvation
ignoring
their indifference
she
puts down her bible
turns
off the radio
looks
at Jesus smiling
and
all the faces of her life
composure
in her stillness
waiting
for the phone to ring.
panorama
lake
waters to horizon, brushing clouds
anziani
they
count each day
between
trembling fingers
like
their worn rosaries
recite
memorized prayers
in
their birth tongue
as
they attempt to taste
recommended
nutrition
from
meat and alternatives
fruits
and vegetables
grains
and starches, fluids
and
alternatives to extend themselves
choices
make differences
they
are told repeatedly
sitting
waiting for a metamorphosis
they
know will never come
only
their childhood prayers comfort
where
angels guard them
saints
advocate their case
their
heavenly mother
holds
them in her arms
memories
of a god smiling
formed
in the crucible
of
an infants prayer
paper kisses, memory embraces
trying
to capture your memory
like
a painter with oils
I
put to paper in black ink
your
inner soul in words
used
phrases poets prize
to
keep your memory alive
words
that flowed like you
on
that summer's day
but
a sheet of paper can't kiss you
nor
can a memory embrace
black magic targa
first
corvette of spring
corner
of east and London
metallic
black like the
lust
in my soul to be its driver
the
sounds of 60s car songs
return
to complete the ritual of
owning
the streets in muscle machines
clutch
girl co-pilots riding beside me
mini
skirted ,slipstreamed hair
the
need for speed never dying
the
dream of cool forever , waiting
under
the hood of that black corvette
Joseph A Farina is a retired lawyer in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. An award winning poet. published in Quills Canadian Poetry Magazine,Lothlor8an Pietry Journal, Ascent ,Subterranean Blue and in The Tower Poetry Magazine, Inscribed, The Windsor Review, Boxcar Poetry Revue , and appears in the anthologies Sweet Lemons: Writings with a Sicilian Accent, canadian Italians at Table, Witness and Tamaracks: Canadian Poetry for the 21st Century . published in U.S. magazines Mobius, Pyramid Arts, Arabesques, Fiele-Festa, Philedelphia Poets and Memoir and in Silver Birch Press Series. He has had two books of poetry published— The Cancer Chronicles and The Ghosts of Water Street.
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