Robert L. Penick
Schema
Reorganize all the disparate pieces
of that era of mayhem—your life—
and the results would be different.
Someone to tell you where the sinkholes were,
the snares and inevitable mistakes
awaiting each, naive, blind traveler.
A road map would have helped, or a mentor,
some old dude or grandmother
with a smidgen of sense and clarity.
Instead, you drove this jagged route
in the dark. Your one, constant comfort:
The warm encompassing shawl of night.
Bio
The poetry and prose of Robert L. Penick have appeared in over 200 different literary journals, including The Hudson Review, North American Review, Plainsongs, and Oxford Magazine. The Art of Mercy: New and Selected Poems is now available from Hohm Press, and more of his work can be found at theartofmercy.net