Solar streetlamps illuminate dark corners
expose cobblestone steps leading to a museum
there relics rest behind bullet proof glass
& mischievous shapeshifters ogle, point, pontificate
about the essence of classical art permeating
civilizations to advance tribal standing,
facilitate religious rituals, celebrate birth
& rites of passage in life & the hereafter.
Still even sun powered lanterns pale in comparison
to flickering mysteries hidden behind gaslight flames,
dancing rabbits encased in beveled glass cast surreal prisms
well sheltered from wind & inclement winter ice;
innovation’s holy manger cradles nimble wicks;
sidewalk flood beacons or well-lit cellular devices
showcase carefree pookas, drunken arms locked
around metal posts, swinging in circles ‘til taverns close.
About the Poet
A Washington-based author, educator, and pushcart nominee for poetry, my works have appeared in many international literary magazines, journals, and anthologies such as The Ekphrastic Review, Street Lit, The Flatbush Review, Verse-Virtual: An Online Journal of Poetry, The Fib Review, Metamorphoses, the Atherton Review, and the Scarlett Leaf Review. Warner also has written several volumes of poetry, including Rags & Feathers, Without Wheels, Edges, ShadowCat, Memento Mori: A Chapbook Redux, and most recently, Serpent’s Tooth: Poems. His first collection of prose, Masques: Flash Fiction & Short Stories debuted in August 2020. Currently, Warner spends his time writing, wood working, and salmon fishing
Vita Brevis Press. 