leonardcohenforum.com

Hop-On, Hop-Off

Welcome the Coming
Speed the Parting Guest
......Inscription, Union Station,
......Washington, D.C.

State and territorial flags snap out
stars, bison, eagles, and stripes stream
in the spring breeze, red open-topped
double-deck bus drives by with wind-
battered tourists, hop-on, hop-off.

Atop the globe on Columbus's marble
monument, a proud male pigeon struts
for a female, white tail dragging,
hop-on, hop-off: so the world turns.

Time to light a cigar before my train; set
against the sky, the statue of Freedom
in eagle headdress on the Capitol dome, pink
smudge of cherry blossoms amid greening oaks;
a black kid skateboards past a D.C. Duck.

Christopher T. George

This shares aspects of "Halyards" and I like both.

" . . . flags snap out" ~ yes, exactly what they do on windy days.

Even with "a black kid skateboards" ~ this is also done with a hop-on, hop-off action.

One always gets such a definite sense of cameo of time and place with your poems. They're like looking through a camera lens.


~ Lizzy

Thanks, Lizzy.

Chris