All of us Americans ─

a tilted cowboy hat in a black & white photo
quoif, scarf, pins and a sprung natural look
flowered, dresses below the knees, short sleeve shirts
old clothes, flashy new and coal dust overalls
rouge color on pale cheeks below sad clay gaze
beards, no beards, eyebrows that come and go
smiles, leers, frowns, cheers, questioning mouths
kissed & kiss-less lips, painted, puckered, pouting
first picture, last, in-between, life and love
lonely portraits, family gatherings, couples cling
eyes peer at future viewers, wells into a soul
wallpaper thin stares, opaque glints at eternities
bursting happy faces radiating morning's first light
left right, left right profiles, marching off a stool
chair, log, fence, tree, minutes after mile markers
in a long chain of humanity migrating into frames
captured moments of agony and ecstasy flagged
absent red, white, blue in our film noir, still life, body

cec-

Death is taking a break here ─
arms of bone folded behind head
it looks comfortable with legs crossed
a smiley face mask would look good to wear
except for the show of ribs, cage like
where a tiny bird flutters, frightened

Dusk leaps in tall shadows
darkness steals away all forms
seeping in one great present void
where sings the sound of a faint warble

cec

do not speak of old, oak, trees
tell rather, of young saplings' iridescent green
living by water reflecting tall timber's leaves

leave out turbulent wind's, egg peak, waves
cast line upon the mist, listen to it drop
a solitary note, in the silence, plays

dew gathers for the morning fire wood
crackling limbs spitting from the ash
cinder comets fly through space to land crash

dawn's sun appears conjuring lake genies
casting spells in pines, bristle and moss
mushrooms, passing in the night, deliquesce

-cec