All Fall Down by Joan McNerney

Leaves toppling from trees fiery 

leaves red yellow green flames.  

Only this remains...smoky ends of days.

Days like leaves crumbling, shriveled,

tumbling down, falling to the ground.

Scattered into an acrid mound.

An acrid mound of sour roots. Our garden

grew from the wrong side of the moon.

Brackish vines are harvested there.

Flowers of despair grew a single fruit.

It tasted bittersweet. My laughter became

harsh.  My eyes grew oblique.                                      

I want to curse and cry against this world.

Fine dreams stolen...ragged and torn

like leaves blown in storm.

Storm winds strangle treetops, shaking,

foliage pulled from boughs.  Broken

by thunder pummeled through long nights

Long nights heavy rains spilling black ink

stains.  There is no solution, another day

done, another piece of the puzzle gone

Ashes ashes all fall down 

what is lost cannot be found. 

Joan McNerney’s poetry has been included in numerous literary zines such as Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze, Seven Circle Press, Dinner with the Muse, Blueline, Halcyon Days and included in Bright Hills Press, Kind of A Hurricane Press and Poppy Road Review anthologies. She has been nominated four times for Best of the Net.