Survivor
on a chilly October evening
a lone dandelion
gone to seed
stands in the midst
of a green field
its puffy head
having somehow
survived the whirling blades
of a recent mowing
it stands stiffly tall
a white haired old man
awaiting immortality
in a gust of wind
or a child’s wish
The Broken Vase
it stands tall in the lobby
with curves like
a woman’s hips
under a tight fitting
evening gown
lapis lazuli blue
streaked with white veins
flecks of gold
and shot through with
jagged hairline cracks
it’s been broken
perhaps more than once
but someone
gathered the pieces
and with patience
and trembling fingers
glued every one
back into place
now it reflects the light again
in fragile wholeness
Brian Rihlmann was born in New Jersey and currently resides in Reno,
Nevada. He writes free verse poetry, much of it on the confessional
side. He has been published in Blognostics, Red Eft Review,
Spillwords, Synchronized Chaos, Cajun Mutt Press, The Rye Whiskey
Review, and others.
