poems || Jeff Harrison

Reluctant Dust
 
the pastoral
virtually shut
the door
on tragedy
lovelorn
shepherds
each claim
to the other
a gift for
memory,
distractions
finished in
couplets
reluctant
dust
upholding
our scandals
as we up-
hold the law,
sympathy
played upon
reason,
perfumed
shade
a virtue
that
comple-
ments
post-
poned
catabasis
monoliths
of beaten
gold
broken in
by storm,
those
full-fledged
messages
took the
majority
of nine
years, the
lazy are
already
creatures
of Heaven
to celebrate
the king’s
own plans,
procession
allowed me
a snake and
a crude
proverb
outfitted
with
leather
straps