Three Dragonflies

New poem for December 26, 2023

Three Dragonflies

We didn’t take a photograph
the three of us posed for posterity
something to gum up time
like resplendent dragonflies in amber
proving in evolutionary degrees
our uncanny similarities
or evidence for astronomers
measuring the imperceptible red shift
of accelerating distant bodies

What we said was this: 
we had a hell of a Christmas
did you see how she looked at him
everyone just needs to get over it
I’ll come say goodbye
don’t overcook, I think it’s done
holy jeez, Judas Priest, son of a bitch!
don’t make it weird
I love you

Syllables bounding into compressed space-time
frequencies for a far out radio receiver
triangulating the distinct sound and the shape 
of three dragonflies composed 
from nothing but echoes 
resounding tones without light 
indelible as night

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There’s a photo on my wall from last year’s Christmas. By the time the kids—who aren’t kids anymore—had gone, I realized too late we hadn’t taken another one. This will have to do.

We did indeed have a hell of a Christmas with family and friends. I drank it all up like needed medicine. Cheers to all of you at the end of this year.

P.S. Make it weird.

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