I have no idea where I found this poem. If anyone knows the poet, let me know. I would love to read more of this poet’s work.

Eric with the Light Brown Hair

I have no horse! I have no horse! 

cries Eric sitting on the porch 

of the Twin Maples Retirement Home 

and it’s a fine spring day, 

I am walking to the playground 

when I stop to hear this, 

the most profound moment our town 

has seen since the ice-cream truck 

adopted a rendition of Stephen Foster’s 

Oh! Susanna

the profundity of which should be apparent 

to all those who linger in blissful repose 

over the sad lives of great forgotten men 

I have no horse! I have no horse! 

Eric behaves as one does 

after a beheadment 

and I love the ology of it 

and the ism of his cry 

I love the ology of clouds 

and the ism of rain too 

but not as specifically as 

I love Eric, who seeks his red rose 

in the fume of the moment 

his mouth oily and explosive, 

wide open, waiting for someone 

to throw a few peanuts in 

God has made some pretty weird comments 

in his time, about the nature of human 

life and all of that, naturally 

they are profound 

but somehow they seem like a morbid imitation 

compared to Eric’s 

and even if he goes back centuries 

every time he gets stewed

like the wildflowers who wither on the shore 

far from our native glen 

I sigh for Eric, who I unanswered, 

I sigh for Eric who once had light brown hair. 

as I swing 

floating like a vapor 

on the soft-spoken air

Check out other work in the Strange Faces Other Minds series here.