signs

Imagine, that stellar dust and Terra's plants

Combine in a torrent of Earth and beautiful starlight:

The voice, among other voices, rattled in the back

And decried the government and laughed at myself,

Crying before a copy of Paradise Lost

Found somewhere tucked away in the homeless shelter.

Several books from the all time greats all bought

In one cheap set, Dostoevsky and Milton,

Dante, others... That they would know my tastes

And buy for me. Who bought these books and how

Did they come to be so placed, dusty, forgotten,

In the midst of violent chattering between low statures.

The halls were filthy black and white stone

So crowded that many couldn't move or dare to move,

Waiting on the food, holding a literal meal ticket.

This is all brought back day to day,

Heavy on the mind that paces back and forth

From room to room. Left and right. Did you know,

That when I was a child I believed the traffic lights

Were controlled by little men in small offices

Watching through cameras, waiting to turn the lights

Green or red depending? And this I believed,

Walking the streets and following the obvious signs,

WALK, and so I did, meeting her at pace,

Her face covered by a black coat but there

She was, gorgeous and small, walking briskly

By the heavy stone library flanked by the light

Of two embattled apples, bitten and scorned,

When I arrived inside I was greeted by a fool

Holding a brick of God's perfect light. I dodged.

And outside it snowed slowly, reading the dedication

From Andrew Carnegie on the steps and wondering, too

If I were meant to be here, to destroy the images

Of fallen fruits on the sides of public libraries.

She asked if I could see the way to the end,

If I could see, I guess, in totality, the point,

That I were born to set it right, you see.

Resolutely, I stated for the record, by God,

Congress would fall in line of my accord,

And all would rejoice at the new society

We would build, for the people, by the people,

I became enamored with possibilities and riots,

And saw an alternate future, many alternates,

And all that hung on the thread of my involvement.

She directed me again, and off I walked down the road,

Following the signs, green lights and flying birds.