The First to Fall
Joseph Hesch © 2016
I found the deceased
on my front lawn this morning.
Dropped by a seasonal drive-by,
the flashes and booms just
another night on the mean streets
of southern Saratoga County.
This killer swept by in a whoosh,
a swiftly moving hunter knocking off
the stationary target, instead of
the other way around. Which way’s
more sporting? Not that it matters.
Dead is dead is dead is dead.
That’s how it’ll be in coming months,
when the annual turf war grinds down
its green recruits, and decades-long
veterans of the air unpin
their golden decorations, with
oak leaf clusters.
Yep, found this fallen airman on my lawn this morning, just like I found Halloween decorations and the first 2016 collector Christmas tree decorations at the Hallmark store last night. Meanwhile, the summer storms continue their west-to-east drive-bys and I’m daily melting like a Creamsicle fallen upon a sizzling sidewalk.
A Thing for Words 
“…another night on the mean streets
of southern Saratoga County.” eh?
Didn’t realize how “rough” things were in your neck of the woods!!
Love the inspiration that you found in that one leaf!
Well…. The Chamber of Commerce won’t appreciate my tongue-in-cheek hyperbole. Compared to the streets where I grew up or delivered the newspaper, this is heaven.
Thanks, Gin.
Living in an area that doesn’t have seasonal changes such as Autumn, and where a Saratoga is a native fish, I had to re-read this post a few times. It was brilliantly done.
Autumn is my favourite season although when you consider the beautiful golden colours are actually harbingers of death…good grief, Joe!
Actually, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about ends and beginnings. The maple tree beside my apartment has been sending ‘helicopters’ onto my balcony for a couple of weeks. A sign, a suggestion, a nudge to move forward. :))