Clubfoot bravado
in seventies cheesecloth
he curses as the freighter
pulls away his heavy
stare reflects a hatred
for all things golden
he lives for concrete
he lives for the hot
black ribbon beneath
a desert sun a locked-in
world of tinted windshields
and leather plumage
rejoicing in the dialogue
between metal and stone
a voice that oscillates
across the valley
till twilight falls
and the new-found stars
weep again for the madness
of his remembering.
Paul Ilechko is the author of the chapbooks “Bartok in Winter” (Flutter Press, 2018) and “Graph of Life” (Finishing Line Press, 2018). His work has appeared in a variety of journals, including Manhattanville Review, formercactus, Sheila-Na-Gig, Marsh Hawk Review and Rockvale Review. He lives with his partner in Lambertville, NJ.
Photo by David Everett Strickler
South Broadway Ghost Society 