I Am.... (Here, I Am Gone!) Poem by Eric Cockrell

i am...
the screen half torn from the door,
the print of the raccoon,
on the hood of the car.
i am oil tinged rainwater,
caught in a bucket.
the sound of trucks
on a distant highway.
i am snake skin, and spider's web,
and the trail of the ants.
the old woman hanging clothes,
the dog on the porch.
i am children dirty half naked,
the watermelon, and the broomstick.
i am poverty boiling,
on the salted burner.
i am the funeral suit,
and hymns made of wool.
i am spit dripping,
from the chin of eternity.
the unshaven gristle
of autumn awaiting winter.
i am the kite stuck
in the highest branch.
i am the lover, the potter,
the gospel of the snail
going home!
i am the wrap of two bodies,
two tongues, and one soul.
i am the song of rust,
tempting the grass.
i am here, i am gone!