13.027. ''WE'VE BEEN SEARCHING'

'WE'VE BEEN SEARCHING'

There's no good grace in the suburbs

of want, and if this 'lockdown' version

of History continues I'm gone. Gone to

the hills where my Soul wants to be; 

Gone to some hinterland closer to me,

far from the sea, and nearer to Thee.

-

The sandwich lady at the Beach Lake

store, just yesterday, was staring at

me through her window. I'd stayed

outside; nothing to do with this maniac

world of masks and insider for me. I

had my loose dog nearby. People

passing said hi. There were cheap

cigarette offers on all the walls.

Brands I'd never even heard of.

-

Across the road, the Beach Lake

Fire Department building was locked.

A guy in an old Mustang stopped by;

new red paint, but badly painted.

A nice young girl, like a bird from

the sky, asked something about the

dog and I made a reply.

-

So then I went to the river and then

I went to the bridge; where we crossed.

It's another state, once you cross, and,

yes, I can tell  -  it sort of immediately 

gets darker and has a different feel and, 

I can see, the people there have different 

minds.

-

Nothing I'd want, but not to be avoided

either. The guy in the blue car? He says 

'Howdy.' I say 'Hey,' back. His girlfriend, 

or wife, just looks on. They make a right, 

while I am walking straight. There's an 

art gallery unattended, and a place for 

beer and soda. Some big, old mill or

foundry looms, and next to it a  RR 

bridge, low clearance, and from some 

hundred and twenty years ago. 

-

Everything seems to have stopped.

'We've been searching for that,'

 some other guy says.