pink azalea blooms
pine pollen
an iris or two in bloom
male
bluebird
atop
the bird house
fern
frond
about to unfurl
who stands before it
what a racket
(i can sell you a seat)
she’ll be
driving six white horses
we’ll
all go out to greet her
bringer
of peace
heliotropic
i face the sun rising
above the pine trees
get it all
down
even if
you need to use words
/ / / / /
in the moonlight
the dogs are chasing the armadillos
the armadillos
dig
for hidden
grubs
digging holes
beneath the pine needles
invisible old ones
walk about
each dragging
a full bag of memories
aren’t you eager
to have
our houses & our money
listen
feel free to remember their names
feel free to say their names
feel free to tell a story or
two about them
feel free to see
that you also
are becoming
an anecdote or two
/ / / / /
her final month of life
eyes
mostly closed
tucked in to her death-bed
she remained
loyal
to one syllable agitated
spoken
again & again
MA MA
asking for something asking
to be understood
misaligned
as she was
with her own disappearance
four years later
is she this:
powdery ashes placed
in a circle
around ferns a pine tree &
the buddha’s face
where is the person
rain this morning
arrives
& goes away
a story my sister & i share over the phone
rain water
absorbed
into the ground
* * * * *
To read four poems by Hank Lazer from the May 2025 edition of On The Seawall, click here.
Top read Patrick Pritchett’s review of Abundant Life by Hank Lazer from the April 2026 edition of On The Seawall, click here.