Missing Petals
He says he doesn’t know why he did it
and that is the beauty of it. A disfigured flower.
But it becomes a cramp. Annoying as a hungry dog.
So he seeks an answer. But the answer has no voice
but signs like a butterfly bobs out of reach.
Unable to decipher the nods and shakes
he tries to net the butterfly. But it is elusive
as steam is to boiling water. Why becomes a road
with S turns and a ridiculous number of intersections.
Often he trips and falls into weeds
that prick him, leave seeds clinging to his clothes
as if there are a hundred unborn answers.
He decides it is a secret he does not need to know.
Attempts to convince himself a melody
filled with wrong notes doesn’t matter,
the dissonance haunting howl echoing.
He needs a different kind of fuel to continue.
One that will burn like dry ice.
Doug Van Hooser splits his time between suburban Chicago where he uses pseudonyms with baristas, and southern Wisconsin where he enjoys sculling and cycling. His poetry has appeared in numerous publications and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Orison Anthology. He has also published short fiction and had readings of his plays in Chicago. Links to his work can be found at dougvanhooser.com
Amethyst Review 