In those days change was law.
After the day’s lawn faced the sky blue speech,
Or its parade of clouds rolling like floats east,
It looked up at one or two stars,
Bordered by the two darkening maples and one big willow.
The lawn had no eyes, but the dizzy
Boy and girl, lying at day’s end on it did.
Then the honeysuckle along the rotting fence
Gave out its sweetness, its nectar,
To hummingbird moths and late bees.
And to a boy plucking its stamens and sucking them.
Then other children gathered, with names
Like Diane and Roger, and one child
Was blindfolded and spun, the others disappearing.
Dennis Finnell has published four books of poems, the most recent Pie 8, winner of the 2012 Bellday Prize. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, he now lives in western Massachusetts.