The night has a cool edge,
a red-moon eclipse and rain.
I take Heaven’s charm,
wear it casual as a trenchcoat,
as Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” glide.
Headlights follow me,
jealous of the path I can afford.
Every apology has been made.
I’ve convinced the past I can do better.
Every drunk, every damaged child
knows they are forgiven.
As I take my dinner with a widow,
distant doors slam on the mural courtyard.
There are no funerals anymore;
only death on fresh sheets,
a memorial service.
Cell phone messages I recover
arrive from a disconnected line.
I sleep better knowing my ghosts
try to stay involved.
About the Poet
R.T. Castleberry’s work has appeared in Blue Collar Review, K’in, Pedestal Magazine, Misfit, Trajectory, The Alembic and Switchback. Internationally, he has published in Canada, Great Britain, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, Portugal. the Philippines and Antarctica.
Vita Brevis Press. 