Alienation

by Heather Lenz

There were always numbers in his head,
things left undone. Figures not figured out,
because he complicated everything with
his posture & endless questions.
He heard too many trains at night, couldn’t
sleep. He thought of all the tar-filled, blue-
eyed hearts that gathered in his own like a
sacred pattern locked away in a room no one
else could see. A room where silence made
progress through the lines and numbers,
the bold streaks left there for someone else
to contemplate before sunrise. He has his
secrets, his grace folded like the wings of
a spent bird perched somewhere near the
moonlight in a forest of constant rivers &
cedars rising up toward dreams of the dead.
He’ll try to simplify things in due time,
become like rain streaked on the window
of a cabin on Walden Pond or somewhere
where the railroad tracks finally end. 
Somewhere that has something to do with
the ability to free the spirits of those who
left him too soon and never replied to his
inquiries. 
More answers will come at last, before
the dull sleep takes him. He will figure out
enough of the figures to know when to leave
the rest alone.

.

HEATHER LENZ is a long-time poet and amateur artist, as well as a poetry editor for First Step Press online. She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest just outside of Seattle, WA and now resides in North Carolina. Her poems have appeared in both print and online publications such as Because We Write, The Indented Pillow, Falling Star Magazine, The Monarch Review, Calliope Nerve, Carcinogenic Poetry and others. She currently has work upcoming in Like A Fat Gold Watch (Fat Gold Watch Press), Ink, Sweat & Tears, and Dope Magazine. Along with writing and artwork, she enjoys nature (especially the rain), all kinds of music, museums and galleries, thrift stores and antiques, reading and collecting books, drinking Merlot, strong coffee, and spending time with her teenage son. She loves all kinds of literature and art and constantly surrounds herself with the beauty and intensity of both.