- Behind the Century
[Google Street View of 525 S Sable, Aurora CO, June 2012]
Behind the Century’s horizon,empty parking lot, blue sky, braced breath.
Up the road, there’sa gap where the wires aren’tstrung across the door jamb yetand gunsare being loaded.
Enter
the vacant lot across the street.It can hurtwhen you considerit’s lack of stadium seating
and
the voices tossedfrom passing cars:what do you want to see today?
We cannot dismiss
the sun scatter high above the radial [End Page 66] elements spinning down into a green culvertwhat kind of tree is that? Tiny beetles inground fur. It was the sameone hundred years ago. The paper sound of waspsbuilding their closest guessat heaven in a dry creek bed, the subtle clickof regurgitating clouds.
Meanwhile,
the nail ghosts hammer too loudlyacross town.
Meanwhile,
why must there bea meanwhile? [End Page 67]
Jennifer Metsker’s poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in The Cincinnati Review, The Southern Review, Gulf Coast, Whiskey Island, alice blue review, Rhino, Nightblock, and other journals. She has an essay forthcoming in the anthology Show Me All Your Scars. She teaches at the Stamps School of Art and Design.