The city lies before us
with its millions of eyes.
Some of them dating back
to 500 B.C. Others modern
as a frail yucca plant
blooming just this morning
at the side of an intersection.
Who would guess, among
all the ruins, that we again live
with deliberate destruction—
wars, technology, profit
all watching from our phones
like Argus, who once stayed
near here and never slept.
We are alone in all this,
suffering from a common fate
that nonetheless can sustain
beauty mirrored in postcards
we send to each other,
dispatches that may mean
something if we can still read
omens in our sun-washed bones.
David Radavich has published a variety of poetry, drama, and essays, including two epics, AMERICA BOUND and AMERICA ABROAD, as well as MIDDLE-EAST MEZZE and THE COUNTRIES WE LIVE IN. His plays have been performed across the U.S. and in Europe. His latest book is HERE’S PLENTY.
