Poetry by gary lundy

             ​David Prasad CC



ill fitting in this western city of silhouettes and silence 


absences escape holes in walls and floors 
the second parent dead 
yet nothing much is changed 
except maybe the quality of air traffic 
control contradicts itself 
while the narrative of power 
dances on clear cut ideation 
and children grouped in fear hold onto their emptiness 
as if invisible dolls protect from a language 
corrupt of prepositions and compassion 
beginnings exclude everything except isolation 
not to worry 
it will all be over before any of us has time to process their end 
we worship the repeated mantra nothing ever changes anyway 
lyrics mix melody and entrapment 
whether memorized or felt heavily under worn out soles 
in the dream we wake to discover all our body jewelry 
has been removed 
scattered on the bed undamaged 
i knew it was my dream 
that i was young and beautiful 
and their dress 
fit perfectly

​

gary lundy's poems have appeared most recently in Setu 2021 Western Voices, The BeZine, Defunkt Magazine, Ethel, and The Collidescope. each room echoes absence, was released by FootHills Publishing (March 2018). gary is a retired English professor and queer living in Missoula, Montana.

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