Poetry

Markus Meier photo

By

I.B. Rad

Black and White TV

America’s composition’s

an unfinished canvas,

a diverse

ever evolving

mingling of colors,

but with pundits framing it

in a 60s setting

we only see

mid century TV’s

achromatic view

of our republic’s somewhat voguish

if appalling

film noir,

“America in Black and White.”

Where are you?

When I wake,

I don’t hear your greeting,

I don’t see your smile,

I don’t feel your touch…

Then, when I tiptoe past your bedroom,

wander through the living room,

gaze at the garden…,

though I know you’ve gone,

I sigh,

Where are you?

Where are you…

Only after recurrent mournings

have I truly begun to feel

you’re gone;

yet, even so, occasionally

I still cry,

Where are you?

Where are you…

If Only

If only

he’d done this or that

would she have lived

a little happier,

endured

a little longer?

But sadly,

to his lasting sorrow,

as he hadn’t

done this or that,

her life was

what it was;

and, all the while

as he wept,

concurrently,

ten thousand mourners

lamenting others

repented,

‘If only…’

For The late Mrs. Mari Lyn Rad:

Says ‘Eddie’ (Edward Hopper) to his wife,

fellow artist, and model, ‘Jo’ (Josephine Nivison)

How can it be

every year

you grow lovelier?

Objectively, flesh sags, knees creak,

hair thins, wrinkles deepen;

yet, to my eyes,

you’ve grown still more beautiful.

Am I really seeing you

or someone else?

Is it true

beauty’s in the eye

of the beholder?

I.B. Rad

I.B. Rad lives and plays in New York City. This somewhat controversial poet is widely published with much of his work available on the internet. His most recent book, “Dancing at the Abyss” was published by Scars Publications.”