Soul Pane

photo: ralph murre

Soul Pane

by Jim Landwehr

The window to his soul

is small, soot covered

and very hard to open.

Its counterweights broke long ago;

he meant to fix them but

it was easier to leave the window shut.

Any time someone opens it

they see the real him

so he slams it on their fingers.

The drapes are drawn

most of the time

shut to the sunlight of others.

His soul resents the isolation

and wishes a pane would break

or the drapes would catch fire.

The window to his soul

is tightly shut

and he intends to keep it that way.

~ first published in Verse Wisconsin

House Homicide

from a photo by james landwehr

House Homicide
by Jim Landwehr

Born in 1907 to a family of others

A generation away

It was nothin’ special to anyone but they

            Who made the beds

            And slept in them

Wood, brick and mortar are all it was

Hulking like a middle class mansion

It was nothin’ special to anyone but those

            Who swept the floors

            And walked on them

Kitchen warmed by electric stove

One bath to serve all seven

It was nothin’ special to anyone but us

            Who painted the walls

            And lived within them

New tenants brought boxes of neglect and blight

Slumming the mansion to size

It was nothin’ special to anyone, especially them

            Who killed the house

            And moved along

~ first published in Heavy Bear