Sketch For An Apocalypse

very often we wake up
and seem to be safe
we're not really so smart

all week we've complained 
about the humidity
nothing could be done about it

now the carousel has stopped
polar ice caps melt
the sky falls into the sea

when the lights come back on
we will have been blinded by a sun
tumbling through space toward us

this is unnatural
tell me it's a dream
tell me one lingering star

still clings to its place in the heavens
please signal an end to the nightmare
(you'll need to do it without eyes)

ah, here comes the last perfect 
moment on earth: no winners, losers, 
kings, gods; everybody equally becoming ash


© 2005 Michael Barney 


Michael J. Barney: works in the legal trade, writes, publishes where
he can; so far, 2 chapbooks, in several anthologies, in many
periodicals.