Reena Prasad writes

Downtown dawn

A scarlet tanager sky bleeds pierced by tall glass

Dead air gushes

in a polite air-conditioned belch

Silver! find the silver! the chant goes awry somewhere
Airplanes three, a bird nowhere

I hunt in the cracks for hidden trees
while swatting at memories-turned-into-beach fleas

Blues rise till the sky mops my floor
I dive into the sink, my side of the wall sniffs
the neighbor is safe, he dreams in Chinese

The monster grants every want
but eats all desire

The sun is rising, the day breaks fine, I say
Lands away, I chart the course of your rain

Don't tell me of the river fish or the tapioca haul
Your coconuts fall into my instant soup
their splash, my monsoon

 

 P-38s and Messerschmitt -- Ed Valigursky