Down in the 'Hood'?

Down in the ‘Hood’

A sign on Broadway
In Santa Maria,
Before the last exit:
Jesus Auto Repair

Did you take a
Wrong turn far back?
Are you all tired out
With nothing to spare,
Exhausted,
Running on empty
And braking loose?

Stop clutching,
Gearing down to be
‘Souled’ for cheap
Down in the ‘hood,’
Headed for junk.


Our man specializes
In total overhaul
And restoration;
The transmission
Everyone can afford!


Down in the ‘hood’ today?

Time to Bloom UP!

First published in Right Hand Pointing
Anthologized in Psalms, Yawps, and Howls



In the Light,

Daniel Wilcox

Discarding

Discarding

On the way to the coast’s town dump
Junk in the back jostles in the turn.
Dark blue clouds drop heavy rain down.

I pull onto the mired dirt road
Past the leaning one-story screens
Where dark birds hover and wrens perch

But launch to flight as I shift reverse;
Backing up my van to the trash heap.
I get out and step in the hogged mud,

Throw out the old bed banisters
A rusted chair, worn shirts and ‘genes,’
All my grouchy ire and anger;

Yes and my enlarged head tilted
With church dogma, loads of heavy fact,
And too many years of clouded regret.

Driving home—so empty and satisfied.



In the Light,

Daniel Wilcox


First published in the Tipton Poetry Journal,
and in the poetry anthology, Dark Energy, by Diminuendo Press