outside of me is dawn
at first the birds celebrate
singing their stanzas
bluebird after bluebird
rain crows make their predictions
the prairie chickens boom
from the arena of the lek
and the mockingbird lies
about his identity
then all goes quiet
at the intermission
the second verse is the muffled
roar of the six-legged multitudes
honey bees massage the petals
satisfying that single sweet tooth
the yellow jackets menace
an innocent butterfly passerby
the grasshoppers chew tobacco
helicopter flies proudly hover
but the middle of the morning
belongs to the meadowlark
singing, “who the hell are you?”
asking , “who the hell are you?”
and I have no Christian answer.
~ William J. Karnowski
William J. Karnowski, Wamego, Kansas is the author of books titled: Pushing the Chain, Dispensation, Painting the Train, The Hills of Laclede, Catching the Rain, and The Sodhouse Green. William sponsors the annual Karnowski Youth Poetry Contest and is current Vice-President of the Kansas Authors Club.
The Coop: A Poetry Cooperative 