Friday, September 21, 2012

People I Saw


Soldier With The Burned Face
I notice a soldier with a burned face.
He has lost his nose and his left eye.
I wonder if he can still smell or taste
and just how much remains of his sight.
His expression looks permanently pained,
though I imagine he has reason to hurt.
Even healed scars never look quite the same,
and a face like that must wound one’s self-worth.
I wonder how it feels to bear the stares
of normal people with perfect skin.
Perhaps he pretends none of them are there.
Does he even know I’m looking at him?
 
Hello, Scarecrow
Hello to you, scarecrow,
swaying among the wheat.
Your head is hanging too low;
you’re staring at your feet.
Keep your eyes on the field
and your mind on your duty
to protect your plot’s yield
and this landscape’s beauty.
 
The Girl in the Doorway 
Low-cut boots and a high-cut skirt
reveal almost every inch of her legs
as she leans against the doorframe.
I trace each delicate contour with my eyes
and imagine the warmth of her smooth skin
on my fingertips, my palms, my lips.
She wears a small, black leather jacket
over a white t-shirt that accentuates
her feminine curves without revealing too much.
I envy that t-shirt and that jacket for
wrapping themselves around her so snugly,
covering her body as I wish I could.
Her dark hair brushes against her cheeks
and makes her smile seem even brighter,
but I know that smile is for someone else.
 
Legs On A Fire Escape   
Her thin, brown legs dangle casually
over the edge of the faded green fire escape
and stand out against the dark red bricks.
She leisurely kicks the wind with her bare feet
as she lounges in the golden summer sunlight,
and the breeze occasionally teases her back
by ruffling her light purple skirt and
pushing it up ever so slightly.
She does not bother to smooth it down.
I think she knows I’m watching her.



Copyright (C) 2012 by Eric Landuyt

1 comment:

  1. Loved the rhythm of 'Scarecrow.' For third poem, I'd edit down, "that accentuates her feminine curves without revealing too much." so that it shows rather than tells. 'Legs on A Fire Escape' intrigues me. That is all.

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