The damnedest blocking up of living long,
Strapped in by bands and iron bars
From which desire could never break away.
Life sapped with all those ifs and thens crushed hard.
Every might-be hope screwed tight –
But this-or-thats stacked up will soon fall down.
Undiscovered futures passed, tomorrow’s
Not tomorrow when warmth’s past.
Each have-to-have will end when time’s unwound.
Passion fruit entwined my dooryard flowers,
But I left them all to hang,
To brown – their beauty’s truth withering to black.
Bird’s songs will all be silent in the end.
I’ll lie down to quiet rest –
How freeing walls that wrap what turns to dust.
Lanning Lee 