By: John P. Drudge

As She Moved

Time stilled
When she walked across
The room
Stopping his mind
In its tracks
The inverted mask
Of his fear
Falling to the ground
As she moved
Seeing something
Reflected in her eyes
Perhaps doubt
A dream
Regret
A deep something
Yet unspoken
Behind a smile
On the surface
Of secrets

###

Rust Belt

Worlds degenerating
Into dying
Industrial ruins
The entropy of us
Hip deep
In the debris
Of cast-off souls
As minds change
And time dances
On the head of a pin
With the refuse
Of us
Floating down river
In a forgotten plan
For living

###

Gods on the Mountain

Mountains
Cloud judgement
Vanity and legacy
Crashing from heights
In the aftermath of history
From Machu Picchu
To Everest
Mysteries in the solstice
And monumental stirrings
Of desire and hubris
Between nature
And ourselves
Stone
Wood
Water
Clay and the sun
The elements of creation
Raw materials
Of worship
And the tears
Of our lost gods

###

John is a social worker working in the field of disability management and holds degrees in social work, rehabilitation services, and psychology. He is the author of three books of poetry: “March” and “The Seasons of Us” (both published in 2019) and New Days (published in 2020). His work has appeared widely in numerous literary journals, magazines, and anthologies internationally. John is also a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee and lives in Caledon Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children.