Willful Total Fusion

Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem

A doom is doom no matter what.  Leaves flee

Their limbs while autumn winds flash cold and tear

At them, but then dead leaves can never see

The rake that grabs them into fires.  The air

That breathes at first as tropic breezes comes

At last as hurricane to rip away

A family roof.  A lullaby that thrums

Inside Medea’s nursery will sway

To murder of her sons, no matter what.

Black widows’ mates deliver hopeful seed,

But that is not enough.  Her mouth will glut

Itself with eating them to fill her need.

  We wish that Donald Trump and Ryokan

    Could blend and make one undoomed, better man.

~ Phillip Whidden

 The wind brings enough

Of fallen orange leaves to

Make an autumn fire.

~ Ryokan