Saturday, August 2, 2025

Don Kingfisher Campbell


Cracks in the Concrete


paper piles on the desk

works of art


have enough knick knacks

to open a museum


a book carpet-strewn here

old cup there on the kitchen tile


even the glasses in the strainer

appear to be sculpture


just go out to the lawn

grab a few chunks

create Pandora in the living room


then maybe win

a medal


for best use of wrinkled magazines

and cardboard record covers






Sol
Street


The May gray was broken by the sun

White clouds danced in baby blue sky

Soaked trees reached up to feel warmth again

Even parked cars gleamed with absorption

But at night the walking people went inside

Changed out of their warmed clothes

Exuded a stored heat waiting to be released

Human butterflies fluttered in rooms

Seeking bountiful kisses to embrace

Fulfillment shared as freely as sunlight





A Street in Haikou


my love records

from her cellphone

a 15 second video

and pushes send


a blue shirted florist

sitting on a lime

green plastic stool


arranges his

just watered

plants for sale

on the sidewalk


where an orange

bucket sits full

of grouped flowers


his parked van

with an open

rear hatch fronts

a row of curbside

motorcycles


one cyclist

on this sunny palm

tree lined avenue


wears a yellow helmet

and sky blue soccer shirt

as he buzzes past


a multi-story tower

of residences

in the background


the unsurprising

power pole strings

overhead in a clear sky


cars, SUV’s, and vans

line the parking lot

of this mini-mall

where leaves catch sun


and green framed open

double glass doors

lead to a faux

marble tiled floor


a potted elephant

eared plant and a

waiting green desk


sports a bright

orange tray and

an empty black

high backed

swivel chair


under a row of

ceiling hung

cone shaped

white spotlights


her friend with a blue

mask on her chin and

fake fire and smoke dress


crouches over a printed

paper while a young short

cropped black haired man

looks across at her as


she signs the mortgage form

on a round glass table

with a wicker base


my fiancée is outside

waiting to walk with her

to the bus stop where

they travel through traffic

to blaring pop music


could be Long Beach

if I didn’t know she is

7000 miles away as we


wait for two governments

to agree on when she

can safely return to me



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