County Blacktop Narcissus
A Poem by Sean Whalen
The farmstead gazes
longingly
at its movie clip
reflection flipping by
in passing windshields
Euclid would be pleased
with the lines and angles
of driveway and sidewalk
Evenly spaced
peonies and daffodils
wave at each other
in mirrored globes
Brick facade aligns
perfectly with crop rows
Helios is blinded
by the white steel roof
Enamored by
unrequited love
neighbors drive by
to stare
at the buildings
kneeling
on the level grass
inside the picket fence
dividing soil
from soul
Sean Whalen (he/him) lives on a county road in rural Boone County, Iowa, where he finds inspiration close to home. He is a retired health and safety professional, volunteer fire chief, and received his MA from Iowa State University in Creative Writing. Recent poems have appeared in multiple publications, including Last Leaves, The Ocotillo Review, Unbroken, New Feathers, Stone Poetry Quarterly, Thimble, Assignment Magazine, MMOJ, and are forthcoming in The Avenue Journal, Right Hand Pointing, and The Chiron Review.
