Ashes

Erstwhile, when the clock still ticked, And the broad band of crimson illuminations All along the eastern sky sang beautifully, My love and I were wont to bestow our approval. Arm in arm we sauntered along the ocean’s edge While dark-eyed seals played among the waves. We knew nothing then of what was to come On account of worldwide poor housekeeping. We only felt the moment’s rich promise. However soon large tracts of land subsided, Lava bubbled from the granite king’s nostrils, The fine technique of termites was interrupted. Nowadays some lean in the direction of sickness While scavenger toads mate in nearby slums And none dare suss the dire disconnect of things. My love and I peruse our schoolroom books, Content in adjacent attics above the tenements, While our foot-soles touch and we smile.