edward McLaughlin / 2 POEMS
caught on camera
you caught me on camera
smiling against my will
you coaxed it out of me
so easily
a memory made to fade
the parked cars in the background
of that photograph
all belong to someone
it was night
the birds in that sky
belong to no one
the pavement was our path
the street lights
were our guides
the moon belongs to everyone
we belonged to a memory
of a place and time
an unending flood of
words and actions
i belong here and now
as much as
then and there,
ahead
the birds sing and soar
in the dark
and i smile in a photograph
against my will
second sun
sometimes it’s nice to
feel some warmth as i fall asleep
aside from a heavy comforter
like leaving the bedside lamp on
i turn towards it, eyes closed
and sense the glow of light, soothing
i turn away from it, but know it’s still there
it’s like falling asleep
with a little bit of sun
in the room
sometimes the sun doesn’t
appear all day
so late at night i conjure it
and allow it space to call its own
space in my mind
that races through wild dream worlds
where the sun is always setting or rising
laughing or screaming
sometimes the sun is forgiveness
sometimes it’s vengeance
i can never tell the difference
until i wake up