Jasper

In a town made of stone slab

With no grass for roaming barefoot,

The sun beats down a little harder,

And the harsh ground is covered in dust.

Among the coal, beneath the haze,

I find a square, marble structure.

The white walls serve as camouflage

Of the calm cool relief found inside.

I wander here, up these chalky stairs,

To find the only wood in the city.

It is stained dark and boards every wall

To keep every inch of gray out.

I find comfort in the gold and green

Rays that filter from the skylight above.

All the warmth found in this village

Is captured within this marble and mortar.

After I’ve tried walking like the stone citizens

And they have shut me out for difference,

I gravitate steadily to this pulsing structure.

It is the only area, here, fit for me.


(2008)