Pete Spence
Flying North for Winter.
i picture walking out the front door and the sky
is full of gladioli flying north i almost get to the door
when i stop and wonder almost loudly if the pollen
spreading goldenly to the ground would make me sneeze
i hear a distant sneeze and then another! i picture six
or seven crows on the front lawn staring up at the gladioli
about as stunned as crows can get! if i open the door
will the crows want in? feathers covered in pollen! i picture
all the cars parked in the street covered with pollen
all the same dusty yellow! i picture not opening the door
and the pollen building up around the house like a snow drift!
i picture the ants sneezing what a racket! i picture turning
the radio on and some pianist is enthusiastically playing
a polonaise! i picture raising the white flag in surrender
but it turns yellow as the fine dust covers everything!
Pete Spence was born in 1946. He is a poet, visual poet, and filmmaker, and has worked in various jobs to cover the ongoing deficit. He is currently retired from work but not from any of the above.
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Flying North for Winter.
i picture walking out the front door and the sky
is full of gladioli flying north i almost get to the door
when i stop and wonder almost loudly if the pollen
spreading goldenly to the ground would make me sneeze
i hear a distant sneeze and then another! i picture six
or seven crows on the front lawn staring up at the gladioli
about as stunned as crows can get! if i open the door
will the crows want in? feathers covered in pollen! i picture
all the cars parked in the street covered with pollen
all the same dusty yellow! i picture not opening the door
and the pollen building up around the house like a snow drift!
i picture the ants sneezing what a racket! i picture turning
the radio on and some pianist is enthusiastically playing
a polonaise! i picture raising the white flag in surrender
but it turns yellow as the fine dust covers everything!
Pete Spence was born in 1946. He is a poet, visual poet, and filmmaker, and has worked in various jobs to cover the ongoing deficit. He is currently retired from work but not from any of the above.