John-Ward Leighton

LIGHT RAIN

Up early while it was still black outside
with misspelled words
from my spell checker I cannot hide.
I thought I could wait it out
but no such luck
nature has decided to punish us
for having a Saturday.
The traffic rumbles and hisses by
and the sirens rush to someone
they hope won’t die.
Another ten thousand dollars
to cure someone’s self inflicted pain
money flushed down the drain
because there are few cures
for a crazed and addicted brain.
There is a healthy life
but somehow these people missed the train
so they lie in the street
as the rain pours on their open faces
and their dreams of other places.
While fireman joke and open
the body bag
and off to the coroner
for their toes to be tagged.
After there is no evidence
of their presence
and their lives
have been washed down the drain
in the
light rain.