A Dark Etymology: Eastern Meadowlark

The meadowlark careens a cracked marsh,
historical            dogwood stand stark incanting            the alarms of pollution,
we once spelled “the world is on fire”, but held, a demiurge.

Tan-brown boys are terrified by winds bigger than men.
Outside,            alone, he kicks a stone,           loosened by Hurricane Sandy,
where, near Avenue U, grandpa used to roll cigars on Marine Salt Marsh, before.

The apocalyptic phragmites find an expressway,
No men thwart angels,
only the meadowlark stands in, a hypothesis for the fact we sinned.

Elders once envisioned stumbling creatures, descending Eden,
housing on outskirts of salt water-cities, the neon from water treatment plant –
Wings blackened the dripping sun & attest to make a tired argument for ascetism.

Jonathan Andrew Pérez, Esq. has published poetry online and in print in Prelude, River Heron Review, The Write Launch, Meniscus Journal, Rigorous Journal, The Florida Review’s Latinx publication, the Raw Art Review, Watermelanin, Cold Mountain Review’s Justice Issue, Yes, Adelaide Literary, Mud Season Review, Meat for Tea, Esthetic Apostle, The Piltdown Review, The Tulane Review, Barnhouse, The Tiny Journal, The Westchester Review, Metafore, Silver Needle Press, The Chicago Quarterly Review, Worcester Review, Cape Code Review, Projector, and was featured in Crack the Spine’s Anthology of the Year for 2018. Jonathan is a reader for Palette Poetry. He is completing a historical racial re-writing chapbook, “Incantation Among White Pastoral.” Jonathan was selected by The Virginia Quarterly Review 2018 for a workshop with Jericho Brown and Cave Canem in 2018 and 2019 for workshops. He is a 2019 Pushcart Prize in Poetry Nominee. He has a day job as an attorney.