And, I Write A Poem Poem by Ben Partenay

I write a poem, cross it out
write a song with no melody and hum
to myself and make up a story
where a character steals the sun

and

I watch the jilted star swing low
get caught in a black satin bag
carried away to a jail cell with
no windows, and rats in the corner

and

I write a new poem, erase it
write a song with no melody and hum
to myself and make up a story
where the sun swings back my way

and

I watch the next night, hope everything
has listened to my words, hope that
the sun swings low, swings hard
lights up the shadows on the wall

and

the shadows lengthen from the light
cast by the streetlamps, cast by the
passing headlights, watch them made to dance
by anything but my locked up sun

and

the bars on the windows cast heavy shadows
the rats on the floor run at the first sign of
light, and this iron chair holds no tender touch
and the world turns again

and

I have no song for it