Cascade

The torn curtain tugs frantically
against the tightened tethers
wind and cold and the dust of late winter
blowing off the streets
pick up and be gone
but gone ain’t getting us nowhere
so just ease back in and hope that it goes unnoticed
the turret lights the world
and the absence of color is color
can’t you see
but that too goes dauntingly unnoticed
in the absence of attention
and the current of humanity pulls against the tightened tethers
and the newsman prattles on at the end
both ends
of the line
and the headscarf clown jumps around corners
naturally to scare the toasted and toast-giving
each in time
and mime surprise
and speak up
the drums roll just a little too loud
and walk on
and pull and tug at the anchor rope
it’s holding us down
and gap
pause
break
and lose the train of mimicry.