amid the alien corn
By Michael Oliveira
i killed Innocence first
as a means of survival
Kindness held its own
in spite of my denial
Compassion feigned ignorance
opting not to hear
there was no end to Mercy
for reasons still unclear
yet Love i sought to nurture
with gentle tender care
had withered in the Shadow
of one no longer there
Michael Oliveira has lived and worked on Martha’s Vineyard for decades. He currently lives in East Falmouth.
Poets with a connection to Martha’s Vineyard are encouraged to submit poems to curator Laura Roosevelt at ldroosevelt@gmail.com.
