Even the Trees Lean Away
across the street
the jack hammer growl
the front loader murmur
the cement saw scream
from soggy soft men
breaking a driveway
makes my rage engage
build a sound-proof cage
around my body so
my mind can flay
and my heart can stay
chambered delicately
inside the poems
I mourn the calm-quiet
of the six-o-clock dawn
the living are loud
VANESSA SHIELDS 