The red rose,
its scent… organic, pure.
its color… deep, soothing.
its feel… soft, fragile.
its sight… red, petals.
The red rose,
hopes for, loves renewal,
gains strength, outside of holidays,
lifts spirits, holds hearts,
and soothes souls.
The red rose,
passion takes shape,
loves, domestic currency,
paid in full,
as the petals fall.
Copyright © 2017 Zachary W Gilbert
Tar on the pavement, hot and gooey, under the yellow sun.
Sunflowers sway in a warm breeze, yellow leaves, so fragile.
A traffic sign, hanging on a bent square poll, a yellow warning.
Deep in the ditch, beside the road, a mangled yellow car.
She was born, so small, scratch mittens, boots, tiny and pink.
Her first room, a lady bug, a castle, the walls covered in pink.
That first father, daughter, dance. Mom braided her hair, with pink ribbons.
I didn’t let her see me cry when she looked so lovely, in that pink prom dress.
My cell phone, wrapped in a black rubber case, rang on a snowy night.
My daughter, was back in town, her black purse, had been empty for months.
Her boyfriend, left her, with much, mush more than a blackened tattoo.
I told her I loved her, as I wrote, “She’s back!” and showing my wife the black letters.
The snow was thick on the road, the night air was painful, as blue and red lights danced.
“Two occupants both dead”, the officer in blue told me, and wrote a few words in red.
My daughter picked up a hitchhiker, dressed in blue, his hidden fingers, were red.
Deep in the ditch, beside the road, a mangled yellow car.
Blue eyes cry, into a bloodshot red.
Copyright © 2017 Zachary W Gilbert
“It’s got to be black, and have a standard transmission. If I am going to buy a new mustang, then I am going to do it right.” my neck was hot, and my pulse throbbed in my temple. “I like to have control, besides it looks cool.”
The salesman didn’t linger, he walked over to a lot tech, “Go and grab that black ECO-Boost from the back lot, I think we found it a home.”
After a three hour volley of negotiations, I finally agreed on a price. After you buy a car, if the salesman looks like he wants to punch you, and the manager won’t talk to you anymore, you did good. I could think of a thousand ways to spend a few extra hundred bucks, or a few hundred ways to spend an extra thousand bucks.
“I am in complete control of my life,” I smiled as I rolled down the street in my new fastback. It smelled like new fabric, and clean rubber. The radio was loud, it was June, I wouldn’t make it to the end of the year without 2 speeding tickets.
My mind was taking in the moment all around me. “Better call the wife,” I dialed the phone. I knew I was going to be in trouble. There is a reason car dealerships don’t want you to call home to your wife. She will shut the whole thing down.
“Uh oh,” she said over the phone. I could feel her emotion over the phone, it was calming and supportive.
“Yeah, when you get home, I wanted to warn you about what is in the driveway.”
“It’s ok, you have been working hard, going back to school, a career change, you’ve earned it.”
“Ok cool! Thank you, I love you” I hung up the phone, I was happy. I got to stay married and I get to keep on living. When husbands draw out the ‘I love you’ statement, almost contorting it into a plea of mercy, then you know that they are really feeling guilty, but are glad they are gonna get away with it, this time.
The ‘whisp’ and ‘whoosh’ of the instant turbo boost is intoxicating. Sammy Hagar is singing about how driving 55 is something, he may not be able to do.
At an intersection, I see a man sitting on a red bucket turned upside down. The look on his face, takes my breath away. He looks beaten, hopeless, tired, and ashamed. The sun is hot today, the car says 94 degrees. My heart breaks, I have spent my entire day, devoting myself to buying a car I wanted, and didn’t really need. I found a $20 in my wallet. I seemed to snap out of my capitalistic coma, as I took it out. I was going to get a burrito and some six dollar coffee, but now I have lost my appetite. Was this guy, true to his image, or a conman earning an easy buck? The question didn’t matter anymore. I considered for a moment that God put me here, in this moment, and all I have to do is acknowledge that I am grateful. After I hand him the money, his situation is between him and God. I look at the rainbow glisten in the strip they sew into the money. I crease it and put it in my left hand, I drive up slowly and stick the money out the window.
“Hey man, God has blessed me way too much today, I think it is your turn.”
He smiled, a glimmer grabbed hold of his eye, “God bless you!”
I tried to drive away, but the car lurched and stalled.
Maybe somethings in life, just need to be Automatic.
.”
There were ten of us girls waiting on the windy shore of the island. We were certainly overdressed for a beach, but we were all waiting for a party. We were all dressed like bridesmaids. There was flowing baby blue fabric dancing around our shoulders. Everyone’s hair was getting trashed by the wind. Luckily, we all had our beauty bags, to ward off any abnormalities we would face.
The ground shook. Behind the dock, blanketed under thick green vegetation, was an active volcano. It had been rumbling and smoking for three days now. I was glad all of us were leaving the island to go to a wedding. I am too scared to stay here. Another deep rumble under our feet. The tide rippled, the sky grew darker.
The girls around me became more and more scared, and more and more agitated. I pulled the invitation out of my bag. It was a thick cream colored paper, it felt like think leather under my fingers. Gold leaf letters stamped in cursive, read…
Wedding!
to be held,
on a summers evening,
(bring plenty of charge,
for your cell phones)
or, without you,
we’ll be leaving
I thought it was a very odd request. I downloaded a several apps in preparation. I bought and charged seven extra batteries. Time seems to lose its teeth on the island, and the wedding party would likely show up, whenever. Another rumble. The girls were getting used to it by now, I guess. They began laying in the sand of the beach, they looked like mermaids sunning themselves as the sun seemed to fall into the ocean. They had their phones out and were playing games, and checking social medial. We bathed in reddish orange light, and waited for the evening. The glow of cell phones, danced on the beach like fireflies deep into the night. I burned through 3 batteries waiting. Then I fell asleep.
I woke to the sound of shouting. The wedding party had arrived. There was a big boat anchored way out in the harbor. Men in a row boat were yelling at all of us. My phone showed 3:17 a.m. My 4th battery was at 7% charged when the bridegroom arrived with the bridal party. I switched it quickly for a fresh one. Several ushers yelled out that they needed to check our phones for some sort of confirmation to get into the boats. The volcano bellowed a deeper rumble than what we had heard before. 5 of the girls began to scream, cry, and beg for extra batteries. Their phones had run out of charge, and they weren’t going to be allowed on the boat. 5 of us had enough charge on our phones, we loaded into the row boats and then onto the ship. The other girls, tried to wade out into the ocean, but were pushed back to the beach. We watched the volcano explode into gray smoke and hot orange melted rock. Like spilled honey, the beach was coated in seconds. I saw a burning baby blue sash float in the air, and land in the white water in the wake of the ship.
Copyright © 2017 Zachary W Gilbert
Water, the heavy universal solvent,
Only so much is fresh, so don’t waste all of it.
It magically falls from the sink, cold on my hand.
Cities rise, limbless metal trees in the sand.
Water may hold invisible vermin, who often infect and kill,
A suburban lawn, drinks clean safe water until it has its fill.
Mighty stone fountains, hidden from the thirsty and sick.
The entire world, has a thirst, “A cool safe drink, quick!”
Water, in a storm may cause a cities devastation.
Children unhealthy, and swirling, in a dirty water situation.
Water. Lost in a desert without it, a dry mouth, longing for a sip.
Soon, water and people, may need to rethink their relationship.
Copyright © 2017 Zachary W Gilbert
Zachary W Gilbert, Author 