“Putting Nuptials in a Nude Light” © John Engstrom

 

The Last Of A Lothario

It’s possible
you’re not a magnetic field
after all,
that the attraction has been laid waste
by time.

The mirror warns
that today’s blur
is tomorrow’s obliteration.
And when the belief goes,
all that’s left is baggage.

You’re obstinate.
You still dress the part of lover boy
But you hit parity five years ago.
And now you’re sinking under.

Your pride is like a quiver
with no more arrows.
Your center is zeroed out.
The ones you hurt will be stopping by.
All you can do is beg forgiveness.

I’m sorry
that the superficial is so unkind.
Especially for those who swear by it.
Your powers are nothing more
than the lowest of the low spirits.
That last woman who looked your way
had pity on her mind.

Your fate is near enough to non-existence
and there’ll be no wisdom to compensate.
Your best hope is that
you’ll reach a point
where you know yourself at last.
Otherwise, you’ll know nothing.

 

John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident who loves the collect the very early EC Mad magazines, strums a mean guitar, reads mysteries for relaxation
and European authors for whatever the opposite of relaxation may be.

John Engstrom is a Boston-based artist-author-poet. A retired journalist-museum worker, he serves as Arts critic for the Fenway News. His collages and poems appear on Facebook and Divergents Magazine.