THAT’S WHAT I OUGHT TO DO WITH THIS SACRED WRECKAGE POEM by Lyn Lifshin

THAT’S WHAT I OUGHT TO DO WITH THIS SACRED WRECKAGE

 

soon to dissolve in

a rear mirror. Even

your eyes if I’m

looking, gone,

gone like those

summer evenings

when shadows of

willows crept

longer, closer and

people laughed

in purple darkness.

All of them gone

after the fights

and hugs as you

will be. Sacred

wreckage, walk

on by. And if people

think they can see

my sadness, blurt

“what am I, fly

paper for necks