Upon A Harsh Environment Poem by RIC BASTASA

how can words be as soft
as flour
to make a dough
of bread that is hard
enough
to break your teeth?

for how long shall the sifting
be done
on such a very fine mess

soft rain on the rocks
silk scarf on the white slender neck
of a woman
waiting for her man to pick her up
along a dark alley
towards the city of
hope and dreams

i remember i once wrote
about a red rose
growing upon a crack on the wall
on such a rugged environment
and yet
this summer
blooms