Poetry

Byron Barrett photo

By

Sarah Ito

Rigid Geometry

Leave your day job now

Paradise awaits

As we pray to that god

Whom we do not believe

Exists

We

Hedge our uncertain bets

High rollers

The world is ending tomorrow

Sandwich boards held aloft

Proclaiming

Beliefs

Both outlandish and profound

On street corners

More sandwiches, less sandwich boards

Hunger

In the City of Angels

Rosicrucians flock

To the Council of Solace

Questing

Inner Light

MacArthur Park is melting in the dark

Intones Richard Harris

Repent or forever burn

Salvationists toll

Handbells

Kettles agape

Receiving the alms

That feed

The camps

Of that righteous army

Deserters

Drink

From a silver chalice

Flask

Hallelujah

Friends of Bill

W

Count to twelve

And fall

Down the steps

While trying to buy

The stairway to heaven

On credit

Card

Declined

Rejoice, He has risen

The Rapture

Disappeared

Them

Into the mist

Flying

Wallendas

Mesmerized

Taking

A fatal leap of faith

Over Niagara Falls

Sans barrel

God helps those who help themselves

God

Help me

I’m falling

Thy will be done

Donations accepted

“Stairway To Heaven” Lyrics by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant 1971

“Macarthur Park” Lyrics by Jimmy Webb 1968

Sarah Ito

I am a novelist (GROWING UP GREENWICH, Outskirts Press), blogger and essayist, and occasional poet.