Daniel Hales

D a n i e l  H a l e s

How To Define Perpetual

She stands at the point where yard

ends and field begins, in an alcove

mowed into a wall of tall grass,

hands outstretched

as though she’d just dropped

her most precious possessions,

will never have

not just finished dropping them.

Pupil-less downcast eyes

lost in the same dream El Greco

saw there, and will not look

up for the smell of roasting meat

on the grill or the roar of an engine

spitting blade after blade at her.

The sun, snow, rain’s removal

of all but stray flecks of blue

from her robe whispers soon,

perfect translucence, soon.