Urban Messiah

The words for the poem below were taken from a sidebar to a picture captured pre-COVID. It was a joyous summertime photo, but after the events in the news my mind simply refused to go there.

Urban Messiah

A fountain showcased in July

in New York City. A shirtless

man, drenched and homeless, atop

the grates on a hot summer night.

Others reveling in the waters

honor the easy figure in mysterious

sociability, relax with the stranger,

and seem to cool off in his orbit.

                     *

         *

                                 *        * * *

A bunch of shots recalled.

           The moment

filtered to black-and-white. The carefree

                                         high brought low.

The heat on the street returned.

Marilyn Aschoff Mellor