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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DARKNESS, by                    
First Line: I lie in my lawn chair by the lily pond
Last Line: Of murder, war and suicide.


I lie in my lawn chair by the lily pond
Where restless goldfish dodge a gleaming arrow
From the dying Sun-god.
High against a violet curtain rise swift wings
In one last exultant flight before
They fold themselves to rest
In trees below.
A lemon-colored spot-light floods the locust tree,
And then
The eerie glow is suddenly switched off ...
Innumerable insects hold a cheerful convention ...
The purple curtain melts into
A faded pin-pricked blue.
I have but to wait a few suspended moments
To see diffused
A canopy of dark grey velvet
Studded irregularly
With assorted rhinestones ...
The garden offers an increasing incense
In the approaching coolness.
The intricate cross-stitch design of colors
Is blotted out.
All color has gone.
Where?
The locust tree has changed from green to black ...
What is darkness but the absence of light?

I lie in my lawn chair by the lily pond.
In a few minutes
I shall go in and read the newspapers
Whose headlines scream
Of murder, war and suicide.





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