I’m Afraid By Then He Was Only Sad
By Marc Frazier
There is no one left to love
As Sexton said: even the trees know it
as do the dying cemetery statues
the nude descending a staircase
the hatted figure lounging in a boat
in an impressionist painting
the embalmer on his cigarette break
the least who come first
and the first who come last
or something like that
those who lie down in the wet grass for no reason
those who speak ill of the dead
the boatman
the bull’s rider with his single aim
deaths that don’t come in threes
the duller cardinal jealous of her red husband
those with a gauze of grief under their face
those whose ship was built to wreck
each mystery of the rosary
those in each circle of hell
me seaside, my banished sun-glassed self
awash among wasting words
Marc Frazier has widely published poetry in journals including The Spoon River Poetry Review, ACM, f(r)iction, The Gay and Lesbian Review, Slant, Permafrost, Plainsongs and Poet Lore. Marc is the recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Award for poetry and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and a “Best of the Net.” He has appeared in the anthology New Poets from the Midwest. Marc’s three poetry collections are available online.