the scent of the dogwood

petals drifting to soft bed

their crimson reminders

stark on white

I remember the sound as my town lies dying

the fall out of midnight as Mr. Sunshine

banks and curves, He’s the nightmare

stuff that frightens King and Cave

wide ass smile with one deep dimple

dark eyes of a shark in frenzy

He has a red right hand and a left one blue

a long mile coming and a breath or two

his need for an event horizon

is strong indeed

Infecting the populace, stirring the dead

teasing with masochism and candies

those young in the head

Mr. Sunshine likes to devour the foundations

and watch it all fall from the absence

Burning dogwood screams against

the hate and malevolence as our town

lays dying

No work, no hope, no direction, no community

just anger and abuse and the needle and the juice