Age – Page 31 – Iron Haiku

Mermaid

the sea in the wind
salt, sand, and tropical sun
tangled in her hair
–
amid the waves-
she watches ships
ply her waters

clumps of garden weeds-
the summer sun warms my back
and eases my mind
–
a golden breeze-
the wind caught
in her hair

the party over-
blackened wicks smolder in the
citronella pots
–
constellations-
old friends and
old stories

down by the river
releasing slights collected
after all these years
–
on my back-
the weight of countless
grains of sand

still she counts the ships-
her thick wool sweater stained red
with the setting sun
–
date night-
she sits at a table
set for one

an empty rowboat
tied down to a weathered dock
rocking in the swells
–
salt spray-
the old pier’s
bleached bones

an old swimming hole-
piles of clothes left abandoned
on the grassy shore
–
a frayed rope swing-
old memories
bittersweet

a beast of burden-
the cold weight of my shadow
pins me to the past
–
shadow boxes-
beetle’s wings
on display

reliving the past-
why am I drawn back to you
time and time again
–
poison ivy-
the inevitability
of regrowth

your name on my phone-
against my better judgment
I answer the call
–
labor day-
the first taste
of pumpkin spice