Gone Days

pantoum after Tamyka Bell

Photo by Sean Stratton on Unsplash

smeared in rusted red
stained by you, pigment
racing the crossing dead
angry, indignant

stained by you — pigments
once laid wet now cracked
angry, indignant
rivers now dried abed

once laid wet now cracked
a sense of calm,
rivers now dried abed
beneath your palm

a sense of calm,
like crusted callous
beneath your palm
gone days spent careless

like crusted callous
hiding tears of time
gone days spent careless
over dime and grime

hiding tears of times
racing the crossing dead
over dime and grime
smeared in rusted red

This poem is part of the Passing Pantoums project on Chalkboard. I borrowed a pair of lines from this pantoum:

Slay

and another pair from (yeah I know I can’t follow rules):

Possession