Small fishing boat on river in autumn

POEMS BY HARRY KRESKY: Autumn, What Sustains Us, Original Sin

Autumn

Autumn’s chill on the river.
A softening of sunlight;
Summer’s warmth and
Brightness fade.

Live in autumn—
Play out your hand
with the cards you’ve been dealt.

Fewer moves to make,
Fewer pieces to play with.
Make each move more deliberate.
Make time for love.

Do it well.
There may not be another round.

And, this morning on the river
Forget about the one that got away.

What Sustains Us

In these bleak times
What sustains us?

Not science.
Surely not politics.

Our connection to each other.
A smile behind a mask,
A good morning,
An acknowledgment of our
Predicament.

Virtual, high-tech;
We work at intimacy
And as simple as
Willow napping with me,
Samantha bounding towards me,
And Cathy, the best friend-
lover a person could have.

This morning on the river,
Perseverance in the rain.
Mistakes and unforced errors.
Live to fish another day.

Original Sin

In this time of pandemic,
The protest and violence
is a further accounting
of the terrible legacy of slavery.

I support Black Lives Matter
And I fear America is unravelling.

Can we defund the police when 
Crime and violence are on the rise?
Is the murder of George Floyd 
A product of our compromise? 

We don’t choose the time;
There is no guarantee.

We must move forward
Without certainty.

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image: Pixabay