Image by and copyright Walter Parada.
Red rivers ride
fluttering flags.
A smile and a hand, freely offered
belie the tip—
it’s not a stick you know
that I’ll stick you with,
not a dream doused with dreamers.
God or Man
the mortar drips
beneath the marble—
just a dab of purity to hide
stained hands,
strawberry walls—
Humanity
drifting.
* A piece for this week’s edition of One Shoot Sunday. This week features an interview I had with the talented Californian photographer Walter Parada. I was very grateful for the images he chose to share with us, as I find them all to be absolutely striking, from his landscapes to his portraits, and on to the image featured above.
The Waking Den 
“A smile and a hand, freely offered
belie the tip—”
I really like that.
You hit this one right out the ball park, Chris. What a blend of abstract thought and concrete imagery..
Those last lines will be with me a long, long time:
just a dab of purity to hide
stained hands,
strawberry walls—
Humanity
drifting…
Damn!
nice. a thoroughly enjoyable read…and some humorous allusions to sexuality…
Really *really* like this one, Chris, tight and focused, layered, all the good words, but poems can be all that and still not speak to me as this one does. Esp. like “…it’s not a stick you know/that I’ll stick you with…” Ain’t that the truth.
Nice, Chris. Lovely flow. ” a smile and a hand freely offered”- love it!
well…this is brilliantly played…
belie the tip—
it’s not a stick you know
that I’ll stick you with,
dang, loved that one ~
I love how beautifully your words flow — lovely piece.
“Humanity
drifting.”
blew.me.away!
Excellent, sly in bits, work.
“…God or Man
the mortar drips
beneath the marble—
just a dab of purity to hide
stained hands,…”
These lines to me speak of the ultimate “cover up”, the fatal weakness of ‘gods and men’ whose ‘stained hands’ expose them, us, somehow. As always from you, a perfect poem, Chris! Thank you for sharing it.