Michael Keshigian - Present Comfort

He stands in the open doorway,

a brisk breeze caresses his face.

There is a shadow cast

from a dried maple branch of straight lines

dyed black upon the lawn 

that resembles a stick man, 

an apparition that points up

as if to designate its source.

He imagines himself the outline

penciled atop the green,

where the grass is cool and moist

as it brushes his skin,

where vagrant ants 

and earthworms tickle his underside

when they course beneath.

The landscape is quiet otherwise.

He is content.

Vagrant clouds, like the years,

move rapidly over him, 

close enough to the sun 

to threaten and momentarily 

dissolve this imprint.

There is nothing he might do

to stem the inevitable,

but to distract himself

with the magic about,

for the future is black,

the present, light,

though it will yield no notice

when it dissolves him.

Michael Keshigian’s ninth poetry book, Dark Edges was released September, 2014 by Flutter Press.  He has been widely published in numerous national and international journals most recently including Poesy, The Chiron Review, California Quarterly, Poppy Road Review and has appeared as feature writer in over a dozen publications with 5 Pushcart Prize and 2 Best Of The Net nominations. (michaelkeshigian.com)