Unfavorable Shift of Wind

Proud to show his woman
product of his craft
before the press
she took his handheld tour.

Forecourt laid in red rock
the sod rolls and palmettoes
trailered north from Florida
plants in hemp and painters

still applying coats before
the plastic ferns were hung
golf cart charging for its first
downhill meters to the beach.

Her expression as his words conveyed
in Spanglish ‘things’ it changed
like she remembered Panama
set high from reach behind its walls.

Here was granted, mortgage signed
keys to heaven with a Lexus
worth the gauntlet run
those thousands miles.

Man on deck with chapbook
prime witness to the craftsman
one certain what he’d built was good
other puzzled by its value, was

this America? Was it real
and was she dazzled?
If neither knew they weren’t
alone. The lesson held no clues.

Inside a glam rock wonderland
this side an LA photo shoot
septic silos in the sand
making up the balance

on this laser measured shifting
dune, an island full denied
by packaged shit and squatters
too weak to climb the hill

one more sign for Enders
time for stocking shelves oiling guns
and locking down the babies
as parable this was one.



Sign’s been changed, price reduced
best on beach with swimming pool
owned by Bank, don’t let it pass!
credit waived sign up you’re in!

Still new enough its edges crisp
and bevels clean, palm trees flagging
scalloped shingles still pristine
though birds avoid the ridges

mortgaged to the weather
coming on first hurricane
one hard slapped clueless
lover stuck in place.

On an isthmus wedged between
two over weaned realities
in a village far from pavement
his children now chase butterflies

if caring, they don’t know this yet
Panama’s reclaimed her own
may they do better by that place
than this chilly clime, this shoulder.