Poetry by David L O'Nan

              Robin Kuusela CC



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​By the Almond Tree

By the almond tree
There lays a skull under leaves,
Under many brown almonds

Decayed in taste
Rain-weathered leaves milked-in
Chipped stones like clipped fingernails –
Scattered by the wind.

The bleeding wings.
In love with the heat of this sidewalk
That cooks the dinner,
That severs the wedding bells.

The almond mush, but hard like bone.
Broken bones wave in like spinning glass –
From the impact of a car wreck.

Our weather,
Feel the snow’s breath nearby
By confused thunderhead
Create the flakes from God’s palms
Over the wires of sticks,
Bent like arms at a 90-degree angle.

To sprinkle little wet blankets over almonds
Forgetting our soldiers burial or,
Our fallen that breathes out the last loves.
When the stars dysmorphia ripped the sky –
Like millions of popped balloons.

The flags wave in –
The sounds of the funeral.
The electricity dimming from our failing feet,
Leaves our fire to puddles of water.

Puddles of water for dirty almonds,
To sprout new life
When picked up
By infant hands and given to –
A new universe,
Or Jesus returning from impermanence.

To reshape the bones back to – 
Mechanical grenades that walk
That run.
That live.

New breathing hearts
Cooked out of sunshine
Birthed in heaven,
And fed to the giants
Under the almond tree.

The world is nude in red wash
The blue behind the flowing curtains of cosmos
Watch the cities become countryside.

And watch humanity float
Off these infertile grounds.


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David L O'Nan is a poet/writer/editor. He has curated several anthologies for Fevers of the Mind Poetry Digest including the Fevers of the Mind Press Presents the Poets of 2020 & Avalanches in Poetry: Writings & Art Inspired by Leonard Cohen. He has several self-published books available on Amazon. He has had work in several litmags & was a Best of the Net nominee in 2020. Check out his blog at www.feversofthemind.com which posts poetry & art from poets all over the world. Follow on twitter @feversof and @DavidLONan1

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