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Syndic Literary Journal

“1 & 2” ∼ Page 1∼ by J.H. Johns & Paul Churchill Mann

Photo by Dariusz Pacak                           

 

“FOREVER”
by
J. H. Johns

(Copyright © J. H. Johns 2017)

They are still with us,
bound, now,
together for life;
but it was always this way;
there was a time
when they stood seemingly alone,
sleek and solitary-
twins-
yet joined at the base;
they were there;
whenever you looked up
you sensed their presence
and the throb of their life;
and though they are gone,
they are still with us-
rising, again;
not just in nostalgic memories
and special moments,
not just in silent horror
and in suspended belief,
they rise like their voices singing
the ballads of their lives
and the songs of their deaths;
we will hear them
in the roar of a jet plane,
the scream of a police car,
and the wail of a fire engine-
as long as we live…

“WE WATCH EACH OTHER”
by
J. H. Johns
(Copyright © J. H. Johns 2017)

We distrust each other
differently, nowadays;
there was a time
when it was as simple
as locking your doors,
“Clubbing” your car-
staying out of places
you didn’t belong.
Now,
we don’t know
where we belong,
so we stay away from everywhere-
and everyone-
but sooner or later
we have to go out,
so-
we watch them;
differently than we did before;
they used to be
just muggers and robbers-
now they could be killers;
not just takers of property
but thieves of life.
See that one there
talking with his friends?
Or the one reading
the paper-
look- there’s one with a family;
they’re helpful
and even courteous-
almost loyal-
why, they might even give
their lives for us-
and so we watch each other

“IT WAS”
by
J. H. Johns
(Copyright © J. H. Johns 2017)

It was convenient;
there was no need to plan
or get dressed
or drive-
or even decide what we wanted to see;
we weren’t confounded by choices-
there was only one;
and so we had no need to go
to moviefone.com;
it was right there on television
but it was better than television-
no commercials;
it was almost like a video
but it was easier than a video-
no tape, no return, no late fee
and apparently-
no end to it;
it was almost like a movie-
except that it was real…

 

Compiled/Published by LeRoy Chatfield
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