Two Poems by Paul David Adkins

THE TOY SAFE, 1967

 

My brother buried it in our yard,

then forgot the spot.

If you find it? — The five bucks inside is yours.

With metal detector and trowel,

I unearthed ten coins,

four cans, one cap.

Dirt piles marred lawn.

Mom snatched me up,

shoved me inside.

I knew it was there --

that safe now cradling dust

and a doily knit from green lace.

 

 

 

PHARMACEUTICALS

 

Abarelix, bismuth,

leperudin, doxepin –

Such beautiful names

they might be flowers,

releasing seed in streams

they bloom beside.

Glimiperide, esmolol,

riluzole, tygecycline.

They could be hardwood trees,

scientific names for winds

or galaxies.

The things we ponder, fear

as human – clouds

transformed to heads

and hands,

caw of crow

mimicking my mother –

Bob Bob Bob –

branch tapping window

with a black

curled nail.

 

 

 

Paul David Adkins grew up in South Florida and lives in New York.