I’ll blame it
on the
withdrawal
symptoms
not
the rising
cloud of dust
stirred
by the
crumbling
of my faith.
I’ll blame it
on the man
sitting
in Office,
our depleted economy,
computers
that enslave
blinking screens
that captivate
and winding circles
that grind
your minutes
away
as you stare
waiting.
waiting.
I’ll blame
the bad days
on Facebook
as well
as the good ones
and blame
the rain
on the
weather man
the
weather app
the
weather
conditions
on Pluto
or any other
planet
that never existed.
Blame me
for the height
of my lawn
covering
my house
my shame
casting
a shadow
over my neighbors
because
I am leaving it
as it lies
allowing
the weeds
to grow
and
the sprinklers
to fail
I am going
away
from the madness
where
my footsteps
leave silent
trails
in the dirt
in the sand
across
the stream
I’ll lie
on the moss
and rest
relieved
there is no one
left
to blame
but
myself.
Jonathan Warren is a forty year old musician and teacher living in Boise, Idaho. His first collection of poetry “Umbrella Weather” was published by Red Dashboard in Fall of 2017. His fiction and poetry have appeared in Confrontation, Black Heart, Everyday Fiction and a handful of other publications you probably haven’t heard of.