Civilization's Crumbling Cake

Scott Thomas Outlar

 

When the lights go out
every house becomes an empty socket

Stick a fork in the cold snap
because the power has gone blind

The same space
where I watched an eagle soar
is now voided

The same tree
that was once full of green
is now barren

When the screen goes black
every heart becomes a mirror image

Stick your tongue in a warm mouth
because that’s the only electricity left

The same season
where we fell in love last year
has now turned

The same apple
that was full in your eyes
has now soured

 
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Scott Thomas Outlar hosts the site 17Numa.com where links to his published poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, reviews, live events, and books can be found. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Selections of his poetry have been translated into Afrikaans, Albanian, Dutch, Italian, French, Persian, and Serbian. He has been a weekly contributor for the cultural newsletter Dissident Voice since 2014. His most recent book, Abstract Visions of Light, was released in 2018 through Alien Buddha Press.