On Honey Lake Road – Richard Perkins

It’s the first night we’ve seen together.

Today, we spent the light in a hyperreality

and we chose to chant our contentment

like a hawk-filled sky and pipes on asphalt.

This is a treacherous darkness. The wolves have

been prowling all night on Honey Lake Road

and we, the unwashed and ignorant, stop

where we are—on the wrong side of history.

My father thought he’d be remembered

as radiance, but the world is just as bright

without him. Our child will someday have

a child of her own—with a body kindled

from raw materials profaned with dimmest love.

Richard King Perkins II is a state-sponsored advocate for residents in long-term care facilities. He lives in Crystal Lake, IL, USA with his wife, Vickie and daughter, Sage. He is a three-time Pushcart, Best of the Net and Best of the Web nominee.