Sadness – Page 31 – Iron Haiku

whispering my name-
the last word upon your lips
before you leave me
–
peeling paint-
the swinging gate
at my back

a cool cloudy night-
the horizon aglow with
fingers of lighting
–
dry lightning-
fire licks the walks
of the arroyo

up above the fray
just outside of the spotlight
he tugs on the strings
–
a rumpled hat-
his marionette dances
for loose change

as the sun rises
I try once more to forget
the sins of my past
–
spring evening-
frogs still
as I walk past

these nameless corpses
stacked upon one another
bear witness to war
–
cobalt sky-
birds nest in
the shattered roof

offer me darkness
and take me to the places
I would never go
–
gnarled trees-
green eyes glow
in the shadows

unspeakable acts-
unlearned lessons of the past
repeating again
–
cattle cars-
disappear within
the gates of hell

dusty fountain pens-
drawers full of love letters she
never meant to send
–
in the stacks-
quietly I try
to catch your eye

the last white rhino-
a moment of extinction
right before our eyes
–
blood in the dirt-
a portrait with
his latest kill

blue moonlight drips through
holes in the tattered shingles
onto the barn floor
–
peeling red paint-
the barn door
hangs askew