Heading for a raven sun
In the heart of a diamond day
Like shattered glass it shone
Blood thunder
Unassailable territory
Deadwood
Sip a vial of perfume
Like ice it burns my throat
On a trail by the shore of a diamond lake
Bleeding and sore
Left to learn what loneliness teaches
Waiting for a whisper of wind
Occasional evil circulates
Vultures who despair
The absence of mercy
Between rock and stone
One bears the scars of ammolite
Shade our eyes
From the fever of life under a vermilion sky.
—
Written for Poetry Jam
Life From A Park Bench 
Wow Alan, what wonderful and vivid images in this. Doesn’t sound like a nice place to be but the imagery is captivating. It is hard to pick my favorite part–probably the beginning few lines. Thanks for posting this!
Yes, like the previous commenter I wanted to start with ‘wow’.
What an accomplished and moving collection of thoughts in this poem. The melody, waxing and waning in intensity of feeling, and the images it conjures up: all wonderful.
This was such a neat read … right from ‘the raven sun’ I was struck by the idea of looking at the black sun’s image on my closed eyelids … walking into the desert to see what … the remains of mining operation left long dead and offering up nothing for the vultures? The images in this poem are so rich, Alan.
I can’t get past sipping a vial of perfume… but some actually do that!