Umbrellas
Hundreds of multi-colored umbrellas float above our heads
red, green, yellow, and blue dots of vivid sight
arranged in a kinetic mosaic of nylon and steel
a colonnade of color filling the sky
my friend and I are not fully protected in our wandering below
as we saunter from sidewalk to curb and back again
from restaurant to shop to gallery
separate and alone within the whole
the lazy rain drips through the many cracks
through the voids around and between each one
the umbrellas are singular and apart, but the same design
within the space formed by this artistic installation
each an integral part of the overall creation
where they all tip and bounce in the wind
with their handles, like the letter j
twirling, spinning in every direction
all higgledy-piggledy
as if they cannot make up their minds
or are unable to control the frenetic motion
that has been instilled by the artist
my capacity for emotion is infinite
but there is no longer room for animosity
no room for dissension as to which
of the umbrellas has an appealing hue
an agreeable orientation or shape or size
and which one displeases or dissatisfies
there is no purpose in sustaining such philosophies
it is not my right to make that choice
at my age, differences can bring disappointment
but they are not a sign of failure or defeat
we are not separated from grace for being made of flesh and bone
we are accepted with all our fragilities
the lonely ship to the isle of judgement is ready to sail
the innocent and the deserving few without sin
are permitted on board, but I will not be on it
I must have mislaid my ticket
while walking with my friend
down the dampened street together, arm in arm
underneath that rainbow umbrella promenade
on a cloudy morning in the chill of October
After retiring recently, Mark James Trisko heard his muses yelling loudly in the night, begging him to let their voices be heard. His work has appeared / will appear in Valiant Scribe Literary Journal, Spirit Fire Review, Amethyst Review, As Surely As the Sun, The Penwood Review, St. Katherine Review, and Austur Magazine. He currently lives in Minnesota, with his beautiful spouse of 47 years, four wonderful children and eight above-normal grandchildren.
Amethyst Review 