Tell Me a Story, I'm Listening (Poem)

Tell Me a Story, I'm Listening

Fragment 1

The sun, the burning hour-
glass on the horizon, huge
and red and lizard-low.

Fragment 2

The waves stretched
like clouds, shipwrecked fish
crates on shore.

Fragment 3

The island slab, the mountain
surrounding the land, the boat
in the dark with no oar.

Fragment 4

Tranquility disturbing
the mind at sea, deep hum,
small, quick moans.

Fragment 5

Sighs of a single fly—
dust in the mouth, eminent
domain of the last gecko.

Fragment 6

Hands bleached, like bones,
like branches, like sticks
motionless five years.

Fragment 7

Crumbs, a bread bit,
thoughts of the crows,
the buzzards, their tools.

Fragment 8

The locals tired of cursing
salamanders, the grab and hold,
the squall of fighting.

Fragment 9

Reserve of chiseled stones,
tactical moves, tactical gaps,
sweat, the hourglass vanishing.

Fragment 10

Water once more, ice in plastic
summer cups, distance
to fading land growing.

Fragment 11

Springs of sunlight, beggar of day-
dreams, the flash of sky
glanced, her gaze, the echo back.

Fragment 12

Salt tang on bodies, stars
silently falling, luck and faith
like love, like food.

© 2014 Maureen E. Doallas
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I invite you to try your hand writing a found poem using two or more of these fragments.