Selected Poems

After the Flood

After hurricane Ida, the floodwaters
burst open the doors of crypts and mausoleums
all across Ascension parish. Caskets floated
down main street like pirogues, carrying well-
dressed, patient travelers, the decaying 
thoughtful statues of famous pioneers.
Obdurate ancestors grow wiser 
with the patina of history and the rich
Louisiana muck. They nod in solemn
confirmation: life after death
is just another swamp. Next morning, 
the dogs chase egrets and callow crows 
from the flotsam and jetsam in our yard,
filling the air with unforgiving ghosts.

(published in Pegasus)