Murray Dunlap’s most recent poem to appear here was Hairstreaks and Blue. If you haven’t done it yet, buy and read his new novel, Bastard Blue, released this summer by Press 53.
In an Instant
By Murray Dunlap
By Murray Dunlap
He glances side to side
Cars accelerate into other lanes, headed who knows where
Birds collect insects from between blades of grass
Gold squirms
In one gulp a Bluejay turns an ant into a snack
There are no for-sale signs where he had been told they would be
In the swallow of a Bluejay the light turns red
He does not see it
And in an instant
A long distance runner is put in a wheelchair
But three months of coma first
And a divorce, a medicated agony
Goes final
In one gulp
A Bluejay turns lunch into a decade of eating
A mile becomes a thousand
A marriage turns to dust
In an instant, the world goes still
And gray
And turns a lighter shade of blue
A pale comparison to all forward movement
All trials end with a gavel swing
And in an instant, he forgets how to love
Oh, my. This chilling poem seems a spot-on reinactment. Thank you for sharing it, Murray.
Wow!
Loved this poem!!!
Thanks for reading guys!
Wow, Marty, how poignant and personal. Yes, thank you for sharing these feelings.
This is good, I want to read more !