Stuck In Vast Solitude

Stuck In Vast Solitude
© Surazeus
2024 12 26

Sweet emptiness of meditative minds 
expands airy vacuum of hollow thought 
that fills with ideal shells of faceless frames 
enclosing sacred space with walls of words 
where nothing ever happens to adjust 
forward motion stuck in vast solitude. 

Slouched against brick wall of the bankrupt bank, 
Edwin stares at the concrete highway bridge 
where cars speed past in blur of arrogance, 
forever going somewhere far away 
till they merge into long serpent of steel 
that hums in restless melody of fear. 

Each time he hears bang of some trashcan lid, 
he winces, startled from paralysis 
to relive terrible crash when large truck 
bashed into his car on the busy road 
that killed his wife and children as he drove 
for day of fun at the amusement park. 

Through bleary eyes of alcoholic haze 
he sees glowing ghosts of his wife and children 
standing in mid-winter drizzle of rain 
that shimmers in late evening lamppost beams, 
forever watching him with eyeless masks 
that melt into heart-wrenching shriek of pain. 

Half awake in luminous flush of faith, 
Edwin dons the scarlet Santa Claus suit, 
loads lots of food in the back of his truck, 
and drives around the poorest neighborhoods, 
giving boxes of food to families 
who thank him with tears in desperate eyes. 

The red-crested cardinal with white beak 
lands on the grass and stares up at his face 
as Edwin sits cross-legged by the wall, 
so he opens his hands and sprouts gray wings 
larger than ones angels in paintings bear, 
but he cannot fly away among clouds. 

Five boys strutting by in the evening rain 
surround his small encampment by the bank 
and shout insults as they beat him with bats, 
but run into the woods when passing car 
stops and honks, leaving him in wet mud 
with blissful desolation of his sins. 

Standing at the podium in clean blue suit, 
Edwin declares before world journalists 
that America will retake control 
of the Panama Canal to secure 
our homeland against invasion of China 
as paramedics pronounce him deceased.