Between The Garbage and The Flowers

(for the children of Newtown, Connecticut)


Between the garbage and
the flowers,
I saw you standing there,
partially naked
and beautiful;
crying,
you said,
for all the lost children,
for the loss
of innocence;

you told me your name
was Jesus,
then kissed me tenderly,
on the lips;
you spoke to me,
in poetry,
which sounded like
the sweetest music
I've ever heard,
as if angels were crying.

I wanted to give you money
but you refused;
you simply said,
'love', ' love';
you repeated it,
like a mantra,
and then,
danced away,
as if you had been
a vision;
and I was left there,
standing,
almost kneeling,
between the garbage
and the flowers,
crying,
remembering,
and wanting to hug
the first person I saw.

©2012 Joseph Powell