for Nancy…who loves old buildings
my Bijou in afternoon smells chick hatchery
dried parsley, and old woman’s shoes…
then evening steeps it to bean soup
sour laundry soap and moldy windowsills
rats nose twitch and scurry each way over
through and under…conceiving…birthing
of their kind and oblivious to faint…faint hiss
of massed cockroach mouthing glue beneath
frail wallpaper…Chinese pagoda pattern
warm brown bats swarm to fecund evening
through jag-ed shard-ed windows…
while molting doves coo guttural on ledges
snatch spiders from dew spangled webs…
and chill shrinks wood to incremental creak
my Bijou…no longer courts a populace;
it slips now historic…with attendant new
assemblage resplendent in decay
Bonnie Marshall
Photography by Joey B. Lax-Salinas
Reblogged this on A Mirror Obscura, and commented:
Life goes on…>KB
Absolutely amazing.
I appreciate your generous words, Lisa. Smile.
So descriptive! I am swept away!
I’m pleased you think this, Nancy. Very. Smile.
I liked reading this poem. I especially enjoyed hearing your poem in your voice. Thanks for taking the time to record.
Alice
And I thank you, Alice, for taking the time to record your gracious comment. Smile.
You’re welcome. 🙂
I loved the imagery in this poem and your reading was exceptional.
Hope you realize how very meaningful your comment is for me.
So much to think about in here. Makes you really the passage of time, history and decay and life continuing. Wonderful.
Ah, such a generously reflective comment, Jenifer. Thank you very much.
Ah Bonnie…this one is so satisfying. I’m glad I realized I’d missed it!
It’s one of my favorites, Jana. Thank you. Smile.
This is really nice!
Thank you, Melissa. Very much.